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.

God’s invitation is universal and it is clear, besides being incredibly gracious. Here He isn’t addressing “good” people, but the wicked and unrighteous. As Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) Many people seem to think they aren’t worthy to enter a church, and on at least one level, they aren’t; none of us are. However, God’s love and mercy are so great that He calls us anyway, and rejoices when we respond. The parable of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15) is spot on. The son who ran off and wasted what his father had given him was indeed not worthy to be called his son, but the father loved him and welcomed him anyway. That parable was told by Jesus Himself, and can’t be accused of being wishful thinking by someone else. People hesitate to come to God because they think their acceptance depends on them, when all God asks of them is repentance for not having come sooner.

Most of this chapter has been set to music, and I have memorized even the remaining parts, in addition to being able to sing the musical arrangements. However, familiarity doesn’t always mean assimilation and application. Though I have been reading the Bible for over 65 years, I can’t say that I put it all into practice. I’m grateful to say that it is an essential part of me, but its depth is such that I can’t claim mastery. In reference to this specific section, I’m deeply grateful that I’ve never gone through what has been called “the dark night of the soul,” when God seems impossibly distant. That said, there have been plenty of times when I have ignored Him, even knowing on at least some level that He was right there. Repentance is as necessary to me as it is to anyone else – that is to say, absolutely essential! I haven’t been snared by many “wicked ways,” but when it comes to “unrighteous thoughts,” I have absolutely no defense. I need constant care to keep my thoughts in submission to my Lord. I am reminded of the time a young man complained to D. L. Moody that it was impossible to keep lustful thoughts out of his mind. Moody replied, “You can’t keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” I have had times of helping them build the nest! I am strongly aware of God’s grace and mercy, but I am never to take it for granted, and keep my repentance up-to-date.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There’s a lot going on, and when I am tired I am often more vulnerable to the devil’s subtle lies. Help me depend fully on You, so that I may walk in step with Your Spirit to do Your will alone, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!