DATE POSTED: Friday, July 5, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Living Bible (TLB) IS FOUND IN Isaiah 55:6-9

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call upon him now while he is near. Let men cast off their wicked deeds; let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy upon them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon! This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are my thoughts the same as yours! For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than yours.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: For those who may question why would the Lord not be found when you need Him, or when you’re possibly ready to accept His lordship, let me refer you to Genesis 6:3 which supports what the prophet is saying to us in this passage. It reads: The Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain in human beings forever, because they are flesh….” Friends, you might also recall in Luke 18 where the blind man, Bartimaeus, shouted out to Jesus for mercy when he heard that Jesus was passing near to him. He didn’t wait until he was better dressed, or finally getting along with his neighbor, or in better form. He had the opportunity, and he took advantage of it, for he didn’t know if tomorrow would come for him. Should you take time to study the above Scripture reference today, you may notice that in the previous chapter the Lord was addressing His people, the Israelites, and reminding them of why He rescued them from slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. For all that they complained about and all the sin they were guilty of during the long trip from Egypt, they may have felt much like we do when we feel guilty about the sin in our lives. We may all feel like there is no way that a holy and righteous God would accept us. But notice that God went on to tell the Israelites that He would abundantly pardon those who turn from their wicked and sinful lives and turn to Him. God was not unreal in His promise to these wicked and sinful people, but He told them that even though they may find this gift of salvation impossible in their own eyes, thoughts and minds, yet they must know that they could never appreciate and understand the thoughts and ways of our almighty, all-righteous, and all-powerful God. Remember, they were responsible for surrendering themselves to their Creator, the God of this universe. He took full responsibility for doing what only He could do, accept them as they were, forgive them abundantly (way more than they could ever imagine), and present them as forgiven, holy, and righteous before the Father. Dear friends, our God has not changed. He is still on the throne and He will always remember His own. He is still in the loving and saving business, and He will do the same for you and I. Are you tired of the emptiness and frustration of this sinful world, and ready to see God accept and clean you up? You alone are responsible for looking to God and inviting His Son, Jesus, to forgive you of your sin and accept you into His kingdom. Just as He did for the Israelites, God will also do the same for you. Please don’t tarry, for today may be your last opportunity.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, I believe that You have convinced me that mankind will only think on You and seek after salvation when the Holy Spirit is busy at work in their hearts. In their sinful state, they have no time or interest in our holy God. Yet so many of us feel an allegiance to friends or loved ones visiting our church that we hesitate to move towards You when we hear Your voice speaking intently to us. I can only seek Your forgiveness for myself, Lord, but I humbly ask that You would soften the hearts of my family and friends who still need a close and intimate relationship with You. Please Lord, encourage them to surrender to Your voice and Your call on their lives to encounter the risen Christ and sure up their eternal future. Oh, how I long to celebrate their decision to seek You while You maybe found. May Your will be accomplished for Your holy purposes. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!