Opening Prayer
Lord, let Your Word chasten and humble us and set us before the throne of grace. Amen.
Text: Isaiah 55:6–7
Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
Devotion
Let these words pierce our heart today, so that we hold them, follow them, and never forget them! “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” It is the voice of His love calling. Hear it, and it draws your heart to Him. When He tells us to seek Him, then the Word gives us the power to do it, – then we can seek Him, and find Him. He meets you and gives you grace to meet Him, do it, and do not let Satan keep you bound with his chains. God’s Word frees you from them. Call upon the Lord while He is near. He Himself stirs the voice of prayer in you. Now when you hear this today, then there is a prayer to God in your soul. Offer it, call upon Him, He waits for you, His ears are open for Your cry! How much you have to talk about with Him! You went away from Him early and wandered without God. Longer and longer, farther and farther you went away from Him. But He did not lose sight of you or forget you. Often He called, but you would not listen. Now He calls to you again: You ungodly, forsake your way, and turn to Me! You are ungodly, as long as your heart flees from God. Not just the vicious are ungodly; everyone who loves the world is ungodly. Your way leads to eternal destruction. Turn, turn and come back to the Lord! Do it for Jesus’ sake, for the sake of Him who died for You and reconciled you to God! Do not delay, turn now. Pray to the Lord for grace! Now immediately, for now He is near! You feel certain that you ought to do it. See, it is His drawing you. See how near He is to you! O He wants to have mercy on you and forgive you many times. You receive grace for all your ungodliness, He takes away all your guilt, he teaches you to lay it down where He laid it, on the Lamb, so you become free and unburdened and joyful: if only you will turn to Him. You are lost if you do not, you go to hell in your ungodliness. It’s no use to laugh or make fun. Your conscience tells you that you are a miserable wretch and a fool as you continue there in Satan’s slavery with your hardness and your impenitent heart, and you know that you reap wrath for yourself on the day of the revelation of wrath and God’s righteous judgment. You have no innocence if you remain in your unrighteousness, for you can begin to seek the Lord, He draws you and takes ten thousand steps to meet you for each one you take to meet Him.
Closing Prayer
Lord, turn us and we are converted! Draw us to Yourself, and do not let us fall. We lament and confess our ungodliness. Have mercy and forgive us, and lead us on the right way for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Hymn
O seek the Lord today!
Today He hath salvation.
Approach Him while He may
Still hear thy supplication.
Repent and seek His grace,
His call to thee doth sound;
O turn to Him thy face
While yet He may be found.
Behold the sun of grace
So brightly on thee shineth;
O take with Christ thy place
While He to thee inclineth.
Perchance His summons may
Ere long be sent to thee;
O turn to Him today,
Let Him thy solace be.
German/Brorson: I Dag er Naadens Tid L 387:4-6 HCH 184:1-2 tr. P. C. Paulsen;
tune: I Dag er Naadens Tid (LHy 521); alternate hymn: O Thou that hear’st ELH 500:5-6