Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon him while He is near.

A certain man had a dream that Jesus had come to his house. After looking around, in and out of each room, Jesus pulled out a chair in the kitchen and sat down. Leaning forward it was obvious that He was wanting to talk and listen intently, but everyone excused themselves, some for just a moment with the promise, “to be right back” but they never came back, others excused themselves saying they had commitments, “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” but the days came and went. For a few days Jesus sat by the computer waiting and for a time He sat in the family room near the TV. Time and time again He heard assurances of “we’ll visit tomorrow, I promise,” but tomorrow never seemed to come. With great sadness for us He left one day, unnoticed.

We listen to this story and some of us are moved to say, “Not me, I’d never be too busy for the Lord.” Yet too busy is often what we are. Some of us are too busy with work, play, or school; others have important errands and worldly tasks, and others are just preoccupied- we’ve filled our days with other “stuff”…. Have you ever found yourself so busy that you didn’t or couldn’t take the time just sit with God and listen to His Word?

Some of us justify our busyness like Martha of Mary and Martha fame. Remember Martha was so busy preparing a meal for Jesus, working for Him, she didn’t take the time to sit and listen to Him.

How many of us have rushed in here on Sunday morning but our minds are elsewhere? You have my body but my mind is a million miles away? How often do we fail, even when we come in here, to sit down and really listen to Him, give Him our full attention and allow Him to give us His full attention?

How many of us if we took an honest look at our lives are so busy we put God off with a promise of “tomorrow”? “I’ll spent time with you tomorrow, or next week.” I’d listen, it’s just that there are bills to pay, commitments to be met, kids and grandkids to be attended to, chores to be done, and Fall days to be savored. “Tomorrow, tomorrow, we will meet tomorrow.” The prophet Isaiah writes, Seek the Lord while He may be found.

Isaiah writes, Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let the overly busy and self-absorbed stop that. Let us turn from that and turn to the Lord. The trouble is, left to our own devices, we cannot stop, and we cannot turn. Left in this condition we’d perish but God in his mercy did not leave us to perish. He sent the Son.

Jesus came even when we were too busy for Him. He took up our humanness and dwelt among us, sharing our joy and sorrows. He knew hunger and loneliness; He knew of sickness and of anxiousness; He knew of impossible demands and time constraints. He came to teach us how to order our lives, to focus on what lasts, on what really matters. He did this by teaching the things of God. By His teaching He gave us perspective as to what is important in life. Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. Where levees break, friends fade away, portfolios fail, and health gives way. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. The treasure of heaven comes to you by and through the hearing of God’s Word. Make time for It each day. Ponder and meditate over a verse or story; pray about It as you go about your daily tasks. You will find it more fulfilling than sports - CU football, hobbies, carpools, and TV. It will give new meaning to gardening, walks, and family time. It will give you hope, comfort, and peace in times of anxiety, sickness, and adversity. By spending time with God’s word it will become the treasure of your heart and where your heart is, declares the Lord so shall your treasure be, also. I encourage you to go home and read Matthew 6.25-34 the subject of worry and Matthew 7.24-27 about what to build your house on.

Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on Him and to our God, for He will freely pardon. Yet, in our sinfulness we cannot turn to the Lord. We are captive to our sinfulness. But Jesus came and turned when we could and would not. He turned for us. He turned to face a holy God, not as His unblemished Son but as a son covered in our sins. Yes, He took upon Himself our sins of being too busy for God, our rebellion against the teachings of God, and our neglect for the things of God. These are all sins against the first commandment.

The price of those sins, our sins, and the sins of all mankind was death. Yet, He willingly paid it for you and me. He went to the cross and poured out His life for us. He spent an eternity in hell one afternoon that you and I and all who believe would not. He tasted death that we would not. Truly, God’s ways are not our ways. And they laid Him in the tomb.

Because that payment for sin was made in full, we can be assured of God’s mercy. He can know the payment was made in full for with His last breath the God/man declared, It is finished. (John 19.30) We can know the payment was made in full because on the third day He rose again. With sin atoned for, death could not hold Him nor will it hold those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

We see the turning of God towards us and His mercy poured out upon us in baptism. A washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit saves us. We hear the turning of God toward us in words of absolution after we have confessed our sins. Friend, your sins are really and truly forgiven. We taste the turning of God toward us when we partake of communion. All that is God coming to us in a real way, forgiving and renewing us. Take eat and drink for the forgiveness of your sins. We hear the turning of God toward us when His word is read. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. By the working of the Holy Spirit we can draw near to God for He has drawn near to us.

But Pastor we live in a very busy world. How can we spend this time you suggest? I came across this story, which may help.

It seems that an older man who was now living with his daughter and her family had taken ill. His pastor dropped by unexpectedly to see him. When the pastor entered his room the man was in bed and there was chair drawn up next to the bed as though the man were expecting some other company. Seeing this the pastor said that he’d only stay a moment. The man beckoned for him to close the door and come and sit down on the edge of the bed. After a few moments the man explained about the chair.

“You see I was once too busy for the things of God. I rushed here and there and my priorities were all wrong. The death of my wife taught me that. After she died I resolved to spend time on the things of lasting significance, to spend daily time with God. I didn’t know how to do that. Then this wise Christian friend suggested I draw up a chair for the Lord and talk with Him as if He were sitting right there with me. Together we’ve read the Bible, discussed my hopes, dreams, and fears. He has been my mentor, teacher and Lord. We’ve become friends. I hope you understand, and not think me daft. I fear my daughter would have me committed if she saw me talking to an empty chair. But it is as though He is right there. The counsel He has shared by His Word has reshaped my heart, my mind and my life. He has given me real peace.”

The pastor and the old man visited, had a prayer, and the pastor left. A few days later the daughter called to say her dad had passed away peacefully during his nap. Just before she hung up she asked if the pastor knew anything about the chair in her Daddy’s room. She went on to explain when she found him he had is head on the chair as if it were resting in someone’s lap.

I encourage us to look at our schedules. Are we putting off the One who matters most? Remember all your time comes from God to begin with. How much quality time should we be spending with Him that He might reshape our hearts, minds, and lives? How might spending time with Him be the greater blessing? I encourage you to ponder that each day and determine if you need to draw up an extra chair.

Amen.