Charles Spurgeon Commentary Isaiah 55:10-11

"For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, and giveth seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." — Isaiah 55:10-11 (ASV)

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

If you believe this great promise, you will have the full benefit of it. Let this gracious rain drop on you, and it must refresh you. Let these blessed snowflakes come down on you, and they will melt into your bosom, and remain there to bless you forever; they will not go back to God with their mission unfulfilled.

As for us who preach that Word, or teach it in the Sunday school, we may have a full assurance that we shall not labor in vain, nor spend our strength for nothing. No, no; the raindrops do not go on an errand that can fail, and the snowflakes that fall to the earth accomplish the end for which they are sent.

Much more shall the purpose of God's Word be accomplished! Behold, it drops like the gentle rain; like snowflakes fly the messages of mercy from the lips of the Lord himself, and they will not fall in vain, blessed be his holy name!

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

If you believe this great promise, you shall have the full benefit of it. Let this gracious rain drop on you, and it must refresh you. Let these blessed snowflakes come down on you, and they shall melt into your bosom, and remain there to bless you forever; they shall not go back to God with their mission unfulfilled.

As for us who preach that Word, or teach it in the Sunday school, we may have a full assurance that we shall not labor in vain nor spend our strength for nothing. No, no; the raindrops do not go on an errand that can fail, and the snowflakes that fall to the earth accomplish the end for which they are sent. Much more shall the purpose of God's Word be accomplished! Behold, it drops like the gentle rain; like snowflakes fly the messages of mercy from the lips of the Lord himself, and they shall not fall in vain, blessed be his holy name!

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Such a promise as this ought to help us to preach in faith! How full our sermons ought to be of the Word of God; for it is not our word, but God’s Word, that is certain to be effectual to the salvation of our hearers! I recollect McCheyne saying that you will generally find that it is God’s Word, not man’s comment on God’s Word, that is blessed to the conversion of souls. There is a divine charm—a mystic power—about the very words of the Lord. I can never doubt the doctrine of plenary verbal inspiration, since I so constantly see, in actual practice, how the very words that God has been pleased to employ are blessed to the souls of men,—not merely their sense, but the very language.

Sometimes, a plural instead of a singular noun, or one particular word instead of its synonym, will be made, in the hands of the Spirit of God, the means of reaching some character which, otherwise, would not have been reached. Blessed be God that we do believe in his Book. We cannot, we will not, give up a jot or a tittle of it,—the dot of an I, or the cross of a t. We believe that no part of the Word of the Lord will return to him void, but it shall accomplish all his good pleasure, and prosper in the thing for which he has sent it.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Trust, then, in the gospel, which is the word of God, for it cannot fail you. Rest yourselves in the divine promise of pardon, for it cannot drop to the ground. It must accomplish the divine will.