| “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” |
| —Isaiah 55:6 |
Whenever I watch a television quiz show, I am often amazed at how easy it is for a contestant, who obviously knows the answers, to fail to recall the subtle details contained in the questions. In fact, I recognized long ago that if I could have an unlimited amount of time to come up with the answer, I would be a great contestant.
The same thing happens with certain coupons. I routinely get bonus coupons from one of the office supply stores. But, the coupons have an expiration date, as do many other types of coupons. More than once, I’ve missed the deadline and lost the benefit of the coupon.
Lots of things have expiration dates. In declaring an admonition to the people of Judah, the Prophet Isaiah says these potent words, found in Isaiah 55:6-7:
Seek the Lord while he may be found; 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.
So, Isaiah seems to imply that God has determined a timeline during which we may seek Him. That timeline is defined as “while He may be found.” Fortunately, we do not to have to wait to hear a time has expired buzzer or keep watching the expiration date on a coupon. Rather, it is the Holy Spirit who determines “while He may be found.”
Actually, as someone who embraces Reformed Theology, I believe that, before the foundation of the earth, God chose the ones to whom He would send the Holy Spirit to call them to Himself. It’s not up to us at all. But, when we sense that tug, deep within us, to acknowledge that God has redeemed us through the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of His Son, Jesus, we need to hasten to respond by giving ascent to the great gift God has given to us.
In effect, God’s mercy, grace, and love have no expiration date until we pass from this life into the next. Yet, if today we sense God’s call, let us hasten to respond. This day may well be our seeking time. And, that is a glorious day, indeed.
