Saturday, December 5

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.
—Isaiah 55:6

We’ve all heard of people praying when they're in terrible trouble, even if they have not prayed before or are only a modest believer.When a child is in danger, for example, the parents will call upon God for help,even though they may not be religious. 

In a moment of trauma or a time of deep need, it seems that prayer is a natural and normal response for almost everyone. During those times we seek God like we’ve never sought God before,and we believe that God is near enough to hear us.

It seems easy to focus on God during difficult times, but when life is running along like a car after a tune-up, we can easily forget our patterns of faith. This paradoxical verse from Isaiah seems to be saying that God is sometimes available, sometimes has office hours, sometimes has hung out a shingle, and we need to be sure to find God then.

In reality God is always ready to be found. God is always near.  God’s door is always open. When we are getting ready for work in the morning, we can seek God and find God. When we are having lunch with a client, we can know God is near. When we are preparing for a meeting,we can call on God and look for the signs of God’s presence around us.

Whenever our heart is hungry or we are longing for God’s companionship, all we have to do is turn our heart toward God, and God will be there. This is a promise that will help us when we experience trauma in our lives. But it is also a promise we can trust even in the round of everyday activities. When we seek, we will find. When we call, God will hear.

Gracious God, help me listen to my heart’s cry to find you.