◄ What Does Isaiah 55:11 Mean? ►

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11(NASB)

Verse of the Day

God speaks lovingly and truthfully to His people, and in Isaiah 55, He desires that they come to Him and be restored back into His grace and favour. He longs to bestow His righteous blessings upon His people, Israel. He invites them to come and partake of His unconditional salvation. The Lord offers all those who are weary, heavy-laden, hungry and in need of refreshment to come to Him and drink of His gracious provision, at no cost and without money.

In this chapter, the Lord urges His people to listen diligently to His voice, for His Word will not return to Him void of fulfillment. He calls them to come freely to the great table of blessing He prepared for them. He urges them to come and drink from the cup, brimming with heavenly favour. He wants them to eat of the good things He has prepared, and to let their souls delight in the abundance of His grace. If only they would hearken to His voice and listen to His Word, they would have all they needed for life and godliness.

Despite breaking their covenant with the Lord, staying in apostasy, and indulging in spiritual adultery, the Lord is ready and willing to save His people from their sins. He is slow to anger and desires to restore to them the joy of their salvation - but they must listen to His voice, hear His word, partake of what is good, and delight their soul in the abundance of His blessings.

Servants like Moses and Joshua, and prophets like David and Isaiah, called the nation to repent of their sin and live godly lives, with many promises of restoration and blessing on the one hand, and warnings of discipline if they refused, on the other. ALL who are thirsty are urged to come to the waters of life, and drink freely of the wine of God's joy and the milk of His Word. But how many preferred to imbibe of the brackish waters in their own, broken cisterns instead of the living water of life?

As a nation, Israel were to seek the Lord while He may be found. They were to hear His Word and take it to heart, for His promise will never fail. They were to call on Him while He was near. Wicked men were instructed to abandon their evil ways, and listen to His voice. They were invoked to cleanse their thoughts and return to the Lord. They were to repent of sin, so He may have compassion on them, and freely forgive them. And this is no less true for the Church today.

Like us, the people of Israel were instructed to trust in the Lord with all their heart and not to lean on their own understanding. They were to hear what He had to tell them, for the thoughts of God are not the thoughts of men. His ways are different from our ways for He is God, and we are not! He is the omniscient Lord of all, Who knows the end from the beginning. He has scheduled every day of our lives and wants us to trust His Word.

Man's perspective is so limited. How foolish, therefore, to ignore God's instruction. How unwise to disobey His Word of truth and His offer of blessings. How prideful to follow our own imperfect imaginations instead of relying on His wisdom. Sadly, this is how Israel acted through much of her historic journey. "My Word, which goes forth from My mouth, will not return to Me empty," was both a warning and a blessing. "My Word will not go out without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."

Those who heed His Word will discover that all His promises are Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus. All who listen to His voice will be blessed beyond imagination, for eye has not seen and ear has not heard the wonderful things God has prepared for those who love Him. His Word is true and absolutely dependable. Peter reminds us "the prophetic Word is an altogether reliable thing. You would do well if you pay the same attention to God's Word as you would to a light shining in a dark and murky place - until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."

Every promise God made to His people and every word that is written in Scripture is true and will certainly come to pass at His appointed time, and in His appointed way. "My Word, which goes forth from My mouth will not return to Me empty", is God's promise to the Church, as well as to His people Israel. "The message, that proceeded from My mouth will not return to Me without being fulfilled." All that God has purposed will come to pass. The Word of God is not void. His truth is never invalid. His promises are not empty.

Similarly, every warning that God has given to the ungodly, and those who spurn His Word, ignore His warnings and rejoice in iniquity, will be fulfilled. His Word will certainly be accomplished in the lives of ALL who rebel against Him and resist the convicting work of His Holy Spirit in their lives. And woe to those who say that evil is good, and good is evil, who substitute darkness for light, and light for darkness, and who say bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and woe to those who devise iniquity, for God's Word will not return to Him void. His Word will accomplish ALL that He has purposed, both blessings and cursings.

A day is coming when this age of grace will be consummated and the Day of God's wrath will be poured out on a God-hating, Christ-rejecting, Anti-Semitic rebellious world. God's Word to His people Israel is true and will never fail to succeed in fulfilling that for which it was sent, just as His promises to the Church will never be broken. But also His promise of wrath and judgement for the ungodly will also come to pass.

The choice of God's blessing or cursings is simply an invitation to believe, or a warning against unbelief. It is a gracious invitation to the world, to consider their ways. It is a godly summons to the lost, to come to HIM, and trust Him for salvation, for it is not God's will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and faith in Christ. Isaiah wrote in chapter 55, "So will My Word be, which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty; it will accomplish what I desire, and succeed in the matter for which I sent it", and this should be a HUGE wake-up call for Christians to mend their ways and for sinners to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, for there is NO OTHER NAME given among men whereby we must be saved. REMEMBER - God has placed His Word above His holy name and ALL that is written in Scripture WILL be fulfilled.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You that the Scriptures will not return to You void, but will accomplish all that You have determined. Thank You for Your plan of salvation and the simplicity of trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting. Stir up the faith of Christians everywhere, and kindle afresh the gifts in us, knowing that the time is short. Renew our desire to share the gospel with the lost and bring many to faith in Christ in these closing days of the Church age. This I ask in Jesus' name and for His dear name's sake, AMEN.