6 Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;
Are there times when the LORD is more near than others? Carpe Deo? When the times of refreshing come (Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus,) from the ‘countenance’ of the LORD, then we are to take those and embrace them for all they are worth, rather than taking them for granted as often happens. Look into your life – what are the markers in your experience that the refreshing of the face of GOD is upon you?
7 let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
A promise of GOD’s mercy and pardon on the unrighteous, if they are allowed to repent. And this repentance requires that we communicate in word and action the saving grace of Christ to ALL, whether we think them worthy or able of repentance or not. How often in my own life and ministry have I written someone off as not worth the bother, because its too much work or they’re too far gone, or the risk is to high for me? “Let them come,” He pleads.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Quit trying to second guess me. Just accept the fact that our ways and thoughts are different – not even of the same order or type. (Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.) As I bring my thoughts before the LORD in patient humility, He has the time and freedom to guide, confirm, or correct them. AND, as He weighs my spirit, He also weighs out the other spirits that might be influencing me, and has the opportunity to couter or confirm them in me as well.
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Yesterday’s meditation from Proverbs 22 reminded us of the importance of God’s Word to guide us, and ended with the phrase about answering those who sent you. Now, this passage from Isaiah has similar phrases about the Word, and about being sent. This time it is the Word which is sent (and as New Testament believers we understand that Jesus is the Word become flesh which was sent into the world to save the world – John 1). The Word is sent, and will be able to answer for itself on its return, because it will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent. And as we are called to be like Christ, and bear his name upon us, so we too are to accomplish the things for which we are sent. We become Christ to the world, and thus become a part of the incarnation itself, the Word of God made flesh in Jesus, now in the Church, will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent – that is the salvation of the world.