AN opportunity is within your reach today, my reader, which you may never have again, a golden opportunity for obtaining the greatest boon which, tomorrow, may be beyond your grasp Let me quote a striking passage to illustrate what I mean. "Seek ye the Lord WHILE he may be found; call ye upon him WHILE he is near" (Isa. 55:66Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (Isaiah 55:6)).
Observe, the Lord may be found now, and that He is near today! He may be found as a Savior, in all the living fullness of His grace, and in all His perfect suitability to your state today. Yes, “today," but not always! Note that solemn word, twice stated, "While.”
Does not the fact of its repetition redouble its importance? Would the Spirit of God use it with unnecessary frequency, or pen a word twice over unless He had reason for so doing?
It is golden "while"—short, indeed, when one thinks of that by which it is followed— "Eternity!”
Yet in this "while," this "little while," must our state for eternity be decided, your eternity!
In order to a happy eternity the Lord must be found. He must be sought and found during this little while, else eternity is spent (but never exhausted) in sorrow.
Hence the value of this moment, and its infinite importance.
You, my reader, a sinner lost and guilty, stand in need of salvation. Where can it be found?
Nowhere but in the Lord—in' Jesus the Lord! None other name, is given. Yet, thank God, that name, that winning, charming name, is given, and is all sufficient.
His name is like ointment poured forth; and His blood is precious.
Friend, have you sought Him and proved His worth? Oh! what grace if you should have done so!
But, if not, be assured that seek Him you must, and find Him too, and that "while he may be found," or never!
Awful fact, NOW OR NEVER!
Perhaps you say it is no gospel to be told to seek the Lord, and you say rightly. But the Bible is not all gospel! It does contain much good news, but also much warning, and suits its addresses with divine wisdom and adaptability. It warns the careless; it cheers the desponding; it liberates the bound and it saves the lost.
And therefore in the same chapter we read, thrice over, in one verse, the word "come.”
Now, that is a lovely word, and in this case, it is used by God Himself, "He, every one that thirsteth, COME ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; COME ye, buy, and eat; yea, COME buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
Is that not gospel? Why, the word "come” is full of it! and then think of the condition of those invited—those that thirst, and that have no money!
Such are made welcome to this plenitude of blessing.
It is God's call! Oh hearken.
There lay, bleeding, as he thought, to death, in an Indian jungle, a young British officer. His palanquin had been attacked by robbers, himself badly wounded in the fray, his goods deported, and his native servants turned to flight, in quest of help, leaving meanwhile their master. In their solicitude for help they cried "Ho!" giving a long protracted sound, and adding other words thereto.
Assistance came. The young man was found, carried to the nearest station, and treated successfully, He was a Christian; and, in his convalescence, he called to remembrance the plaintive cry of his servants. He learned that the word "He" signified intense desire. He compared it with the first word of our verse, and found it the same. Wonderful coincidence! These native servants were full of solicitude for the help of their wounded master, and therefore used that cry. But, reader, that same cry is used by God, as, in deepest grace, He shows His intense desire for the blessing of man.
Think of Heaven making use of such a cry! Oh! the deep earnestness of God in the matter of our salvation. Let His cry sound in your inmost soul,
"Ho! every one that thirsteth, COME!”
And come yourself; yes, come!
But these two truths together—God's full invitation, as expressed by the word "come," and also the fact that the space of time for accepting the same is limited by the other words, "While He may be found.”
A limited space! perhaps very limited! Who can tell how soon the "little while" may pass?
Time flies! Eternity hurries on!
And the soul! "What shall a man give in exchange for it?" It out values the worth of a thousand worlds. Yes, reader, your soul! Oh! then today, now, while He may be found, seek, come to, believe in the blessed Lord Jesus Christ, the one only Savior whose precious blood still avails, and who still makes you welcome.
J. W. S.