Seek the LORD while he may be found;
Isaiah 55:6-7 NIV
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
This passage from Isaiah is the gospel message in a nutshell.
- Seek the Lord while he may be found.
- To turn in repentance away from evil, forsaking those ways and thoughts.
- And, in repentance, turn to the Lord.
- And you will find mercy and pardon.
Seek the Lord while he may be found. This opportunity to find the Lord is given to all people. But there will come a time in each person’s life when it becomes too late. When this life comes to an end, the opportunity to seek and find the Lord will also come to an end. There is no opportunity to come to the Lord from the other side of the grave.
Repentance needs to accompany seeking. To repent is not just to feel bad about what you have done. Instead, it involves forsaking the way you were living and walking in a different direction. It is turning your back on your old way of life, and marching in the opposite direction.
And the promise is that when we turn to the Lord, he will have mercy on us and will pardon us. Turn from your old way of life. Put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus. And experience the new life that he has for you. But do it before it is too late.
