an invitation to Joy and Peace

I've been having a lot of conversations with someone in my life right now about being rooted in Christ. About keeping Him the center of life and all we do. Seeking Him for direction and being open to His will. Last week as I flipped the calendar in our kitchen from August to September, I saw the new verse for the month:

Isaiah 55:12
For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace;
the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

After reading this a few times I thought about this whole idea of being "rooted in Christ". I thought about how it brings joy, it brings peace. Joy and peace that are not rocked by circumstances or our surroundings, but set deep in our hearts. Maybe when we have this... we would see the world around us rejoicing as well.

I really love all of Isaiah 55. It starts out proclaiming:

"Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money, come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

It's an invitation... to everyone, no money needed. But it's not for physical food or water (though He's comparing it to wine and milk, not water or crackers), it's an invitation for Him. The chapter tells us to seek Him, "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" (vs. 6). He tells us how much greater His thoughts and His ways are than ours (vs.8-9). Think about it, it's an invitation to an abundant life!

And we shall go out with joy and be led out with peace...