“Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near” (Isa. 55:6 NKJ).
The key words in this verse are seek, found, and near. Let’s consider each of them separately:
Seek: In Hebrew this is an interesting word, one which expresses special intensity. It literally means “to beat a path or to go over an area so often as to rub or wear away a recognizable path.” It carries with it the idea of inquiry, search and request. To seek is to tread a path as a pursuit. Seeking the Lord can – and should – become a life-long endeavor.
Found: This word in Hebrew is the word for discover or locate. It is one thing to search for gold. Many people are doing that. It is quite another thing to find gold. This verse tells us to search for the Lord while He may be located, discovered, found. This word also implies attainment or “meeting.” Any effort put forth to “meet” the Lord will be well rewarded with success.
Near: This word in Hebrew means “akin to, nearby or in the neighborhood.” We are urged by the prophet to call upon the Lord while He is in our vicinity. There are times and seasons in which the Lord’s presence is especially felt. That is the moment when we are encouraged to open up to Him. Call upon Him while He is that close to us.
This word is also defined as “dignity.” We are made aware of our own dignity by God’s presence in our life. It also means “intimate.” God’s nearness to us makes it possible for us to have a “close encounter” with Him.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers