29/09/2020
SEEK THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND, CALL HIM WHILE HE IS NEAR (IS. 55:6).
I am just so awestruck to hear Isaiah telling us to seek God while he may be found and that we should call him while he is near. Does it mean that there may be times that God will not be found? Will there be times that God may not be near? Even though this is an Old Testament text which gives us a figure of what is in the New Testament, it speaks to my heart that even though God is all powerful, omnipresent, eternal, unlimited and infinite; limited and finite human being like you does not have eternal opportunity to seek Him. A bitter truth!
Since you are limited, it may be that you may want to seek him at some time to come but it is your limitedness and finiteness that will bar you from getting access to Him. So I deem it apt that, if you want to live Godly life and you do not learn and cultivate the habit now, it may be too late for you. It is trite to say that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. The one who does not learn to be a good Christian while he was young, may learn it later; but at some age, it may be too late for him. For example if someone wants to be a good Christian at the age of 75 or 85 years, you know that the heart and the mind, the faculties of his personality would be becoming weak. Attentiveness and remembering the knowledge of God would be weakening, thus making the process more difficult than in earlier years.
So why don’t you learn how to be a very good Godly man now so that you grow with it? I remember a man who was a Catholic but stopped going to Church for 58 years. At his 85th birthday, his children brought him to Church. Normally, people bring their family members to Church at old age so that they may have salvation. This man came to the Church and was told to ask something from the Lord. He said, he wanted another 20 years so that he could marry a last wife huh. It is not easyooo. Similarly, you may meet some elderly man who have to be so patient at an instant of talking about a family issue, but he would burst out instead. Sometimes, it has become so habitual that the person, even though has to exhibit patience at the time of maturity, because he did not learn how to be patient whilst young, is quick tempered in old age.
So whatever you want your old age to be, begin from now. If you want your old age to be a caring grandfather, start from now to be a caring husband and a caring father. Not only that, but all other good things of life. If you want to be rich, why wait to grow old before becoming rich? Do not wait to be rich at the age of 60 years. Find money while money is closer to you. If you want to occupy some position, why do you wait and procrastinate? Tomorrow I will do it. No. Begin from now. If you want to marry, please do it while there are availability of men and women. Thus what Isaiah is telling us is that, whatever you want to do in future, assume it and do it now. Remember, ‘a little sleep, a little drowsiness, a little folding of the arms to lie back, and poverty comes like a vagrant and, like a beggar, dearth’ (Pro 6:10-11 NJB).
Even God who lives beyond time and space, if you do not find him now, it may be too late at the time you want to come back to him. Go back, do whatever you want to do today, for knowledge, for wisdom, for wealth, for good living, for care, for love and for all the good things of life. They may not be near at the time you will need them. But do not forget that, if you fail under pressure, then your strength is too small. Therefore, now is the time. Seek God while he is near. Find him while he may be found.
