“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” (2 Corinthians 6:2, KJV).
God is a God who works at exactly the right time. There are moments when God hears, helps, and saves us. When? On the accepted time. When is the accepted time? Now! Today! Then, what should we do on the accepted time?
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6, KJV)–in conclusion, seek God and call upon Him! Pray to Him earnestly and with all our hearts, sit quietly in His presence seeking God’s approval, seek God’s face, and enjoy God’s presence! God doesn’t care what our conditions are, no matter what our current existences are, but when God works, everything will change! When God stretches out His hand, everything will change! Then, what will happen during the accepted time after that?
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off” (Isaiah 55:6–13, KJV).
The things that will happen when we seek God and He is pleased to be found:
1. God will reveal all the wickedness in our hearts (v.7).
Compare Jeremiah 17: 9–10, KJV: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”
In verse 9, desperately wicked, means very evil. Our hearts are actually very evil, but we ourselves don’t know it. Only God knows it and can reveal it to us.
Why do all of our wickedness need to be exposed? So that we realize it and repent, because if we do not repent, God will calculate and retaliate against us according to our actions (ways) and the results of our deeds (fruit of actions) (v.10).
2. God will forgive us if we repent (v.7).
Compare 1 John 1: 9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
If we realize of our wickedness, then confess and repent, He will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness.
3. God will pour out His words and bring alignment (v. 8-11).
Initially, our thoughts and paths were very different from God (v. 8–9), but when the Lord’s accepted time comes, He will pour out His words to align (v. 10–11). The process is the same as rain that falls from the sky and does not return to the sky, they will irrigate the earth, make it fertile, and grow every plants, then give the fruit to the sower and finally it can be processed into bread for those who want to eat. The Word of God that goes forth out of His mouth will not return to God void, but will accomplish that which He please, and will prosper in the thing for which He sent it.
4. Our way of thinking/perspective and way of life will change (v.12).
Our perspective and ways of living that are in alignment with the truth will bring changes to our lives. The characteristic of a person who live in truth and undergo change are that person’s heart is full of joy and peace. This is illustrated by verse 12, the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands seeing the changes that were taking place.
5. Our circumstances will change (v.13).
Previously, instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree. Our lives which were once filled with negative things, now turn into positive things.
6. God will be glorified (v. 13)
This is the ultimate goal, namely that God’s name be glorified, Amen!
Also read: The Impacts of Knowing and Pursuing Christ
