“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

God’s presence, God’s grace, God’s patience, God’s understanding for sinners to turn to God and repent will come to an end.

For most of us who grew up in the church, we take for granted God’s patience, grace, and love. We just kind of figure God’s always going to be patient and understanding.

But listen to what God says through the prophet Isaiah, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” The implication is that there will come a day when you won’t be able to find God, nor be able to call on him.

King Saul found this out in the harshest way possible when he willingly disobeyed God’s instructions. We are told in 1 Samuel 16:14, “Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.”

God’s patience, grace, and understanding will come to an end. When Jesus returns, those who reject Jesus will face judgment and damnation. There is no going back.

This season before Jesus returns is a gift. It is a gift so that people can repent and turn to Jesus. We are told in 2 Peter 3:9-10, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.”

And when the day of the Lord comes, for all those who reject Jesus, God will honor their wish and their sins will be judged.

God is patiently waiting…waiting so that not wanting anyone to perish. But the day of the Lord will come.

Trust Jesus. Turn to Jesus. Repent and receive God’s gift of eternal life and receive God’s forgiveness.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you; when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2).

“When you pass through the waters…”

For the Old Testament Jews, the waters represent chaos, darkness, demonic, evil.

“When you pass through the rivers…”

For the Old Testament Jews, rivers were bad. They were barriers that prevented them from entering the promised land. Remember when the Israelites stood on the banks of the Jordan River looking across into the promised land, everyone one of them had been born in the desert. None of them knew how to swim.

“When you pass through the fire…”

Well, you don’t even have to be an Old Testament Jew to know that passing through the fire is not a good thing.

So, shouldn’t God be saying, “If you pass through the waters, rivers, fires?” I, for one, like “if” a whole lot better. I don’t want to go through chaos, darkness, demonic evil. I don’t want to face barriers. I don’t want to walk through the fire.

But, thank God that’s not what he said. As long as we live on this side of eternity, all of us will go through trials, tribulations, and difficulties. This is not some pollyanna, let’s hope for the best faith. This is a God who promises to be present in our trials, tribulations, and difficulties.

So, for anyone living on this side of eternity, this is great news! Thank God for his presence.

Have you thanked God today?

“I am the truth” (John 14:6).

“I am the truth.” That’s some statement!

It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t point to something and declare that that thing is the truth. Jesus didn’t say, look at the truth…that’s the truth.

Jesus declared, “I am the truth.”

Who says that? Who has the audacity to make such a statement?

Jesus.

Jesus was simply telling us, well…the truth. Jesus was saying, if you want to know the truth, don’t turn to your feelings, don’t turn to what you think, don’t turn to what others say the truth is. If you want to know the truth, turn to me. Look at me. That’s what Jesus is saying.

That’s really good advice. Because when we live life, we will all experience both the tremendous highs and the tragic lows. And unless our eyes are on Jesus our faith life will ebb with the flow of life. To maintain the course, to live life the way God intends us to live, keep your eyes on Jesus.

He is the truth. In fact, Jesus is not only the truth, but he is the way, the truth, and the life.