An Invitation to Listen, to Speak, to Drink

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”
And let the one who hears say, “Come.”
And let the one who is thirsty Come;

let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

(Rev 22:17)

I can hear the Spirit as He speaks this word into my soul. I have felt it many times since that first time many years ago. Some have come with great frequency; some with great rarity. But the droughts in between were always caused by my own deafness – or loudness – and even these droughts have taught me that the Spirit does, indeed, with great regularity, say, “Come.”

Have you heard Him? Can you hear Him now?

“Come.”

The Future-Bride – oh! what a lovely image she will be! Oh! what a privilege to see her, to hear her say “Come.” Oh! what a lovely sound that will be! I know she will mean it. I know her word will be wrapped in hard-won, blood-bought, pure white perfection.

Can you picture her? Can you almost hear her now?

“Come.”

Of the Today-Bride I am less confident. I have heard her whisper it. I have seen her try again and again to perfect this syllable. And I am currently watching her struggle and stammer and stutter.

I mourn as I watch her bicker about how it is pronounced. I ache, deep in my soul, as I hear her shouts of “Stay Away” or “Go Away” – shouts that drown out her feeble whisper.

Listen for it, though. Listen, and you will hear it – look hard, and you will see her lips moving. Learn to read her lips, as I have.

“Come.”

Now that you have heard it – now that we have heard it – let us repeat it, together. Let us start with a communal whisper and raise our voices gently, eventually, to a jubilant shout!

Whisper it with me.

Speak it with me.

Shout it with me – with her – with Him –

“Come.”

If you are thirsty, Come. The Bride really does have water for you. She really does want you to drink it, to have your fill, to be satisfied. She may lose sight of this fact, or invent stipulations for the drinking of the water, but she does, deep in her heart, want you to Come. She may place a price tag on this water of life, but I promise you, none will ever stick.

So forgive her errors. Listen to her heart. Listen, most especially, to the One who claimed her heart as His own. Their message is the same, one word, an invitation. Won't you accept it?

Come.