A New Direction

A New Direction

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Isaiah 55:6

IN WORD “He has endowed you with splendor.” That’s how God spoke of the salvation of His people and the Kingdom life to which they were called (v. 5). When God delivers, He doesn’t just deliver; He conquers and crowns, exalts and bestows honor. He doesn’t just save us by the skin of our teeth and tell us to hang on tight. He’s extravagant with His blessings. He saves “to the uttermost” (Hebrews 7:25, NKJV). Nothing God does is “barely enough.”

We sometimes don’t act as if we believe that. Somehow we got the impression that God gives us only enough to barely get by. We forget how extravagant He is with His blessings, how deep and fulfilling are the joy and peace and love He offers us. For some reason, we assume that the God who tells us to give generously is Himself a spiritual miser, withholding His graces from those who haven’t yet lived up to their end of the bargain. In other words, we forget the definition of grace. And our relationship with God falls into a rut.

Isaiah tells his readers to seek the Lord while He may be found. If the God of extreme deliverance is offering you the blessings of His Kingdom, don’t walk into His presence. Run. Pursue His nearness zealously. At every whisper of His voice and every nuance of His work, turn and give Him your full attention. Don’t wait for His thunderous commands to move you; jump on His gentle suggestions. Like a beggar who lives for a glimpse of the king, let your heart treasure anything He offers.

IN DEED You can tell a lot about the condition of your heart by how hard it beats when God speaks. Those who crave His generosity will seek Him diligently. Like a plant that grows toward the sunlight, your soul will lean into the splendor of His Kingdom. His voice will be your life, and His salvation will be savored. You will consider your deliverance a privilege of the highest order.

It is essential that we acquire the habit of hearkening to His voice . . . listening so as to lose nothing of what He says to us.

—FRANÇOIS FÉNELON