“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord” (Isaiah 55:6-7 ESV).
Isaiah urged his people to seek and call on the Lord with a sense of urgency. For there would come a time when it would be too late. However, it is not the Lord who hides and moves away. Was it God who hid in the garden after Adam’s fall? No, it was God who sought and called out to the man and woman He had made.
Was God poor at “hide-and-seek,” that He had to call out to them? Certainly not. He knew where they were hiding. But it seemed important to HIm that they answer His call and come out of their attempts to hide and cover-up their sin from Him.
The Lord is near, yet many of us are hiding and not answering His call. How many are there who have heard the gospel, yet they put off following Jesus to a later time. If you have heard the Good News that Jesus saves, yet you are still hiding, come to Him quickly, while you can still “find” Him. Call to Him urgently, while His is near. For there is coming a time when it will be too late. As the apostle Paul said, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (1 Cor. 6:2).
And if you are a believer who has wandered off the path, “return” to God while there is time. Return to God for He is full of compassion and will abundantly pardon.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we know You are near. We know that You will never leave, nor forsake us. Yet sometimes you feel distant to us. We seek You presence today. We call to You. Hear our prayer. Forgive us and cleanse us afresh that we might be clean. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we might live for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.