"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:10-11)
The Lord is speaking to an agricultural society. They understand the cycle of planting, growing, and reaping. They know that the ground must be watered to feed all the plant life. Water falling from the heavens is a blessing not only for plant life but for all life on earth, for nothing can live without water. Just as the Lord sends water on the earth for a purpose, He sends His word to mankind for a purpose. And just as water causes things to bear fruit, God's word causes mankind to bear fruit.
In Deuteronomy 8 and in Matthew 4 the Lord said that man wasn't intended to live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Our souls should thirst for the word of God the same way our bodies thirst for water. We should yearn for and be changed for the better by the word of God, just as our bodies yearn for water and are helped by it. The Lord's word is never unfruitful. Although some people reject it, they do so willingly, not because there is any fault on the Lord's part. There are always people in every generation who take His word to heart and allow it to minister to their souls. Then, having been changed by His word, they teach His word to others and many of those others are changed by His word too.
The Lord continues to use an agricultural example to get His point across. "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever." (Isaiah 55:12-13)
When people allow God's word to minister to them, their hearts are changed from a parched landscape of barren unfruitfulness into a vibrant and blooming field. They begin to prosper in the spirit. They begin to relate to their fellow man differently. They begin wanting to talk about the changes the Lord has made in them, thus helping others to come to the Lord. Just as rain causes seeds to sprout and grow, the Lord's word causes people to grow in faith and to lead others to faith.
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