ODJ: simply profound
March 18, 2011
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously (v.7).
READ: Isaiah 55:1-9
A Malaysian gangster was extorting money from a dental clinic. When the dentist gave him the cash “payment” he was forced to make, he also gave him a booklet. He said, “Read this. It’s good for you.” The gangster was angry with the dentist for giving him a religious booklet—a copy of Our Daily Bread (sister publication of Our Daily Journey). But the dentist replied, “Please keep it. Wait till you are in a good mood, then read it.” Nine months later, when the booklet accidentally dropped to the floor, the gangster picked it up. As he read its pages, he was convicted of his sins and received Jesus as his Savior.
What an incredible way to be confronted with God’s Word! But was this story extraordinary? Maybe not. For the God of the Bible is the God of the extraordinary. Everything is possible with Him (Mark 10:27). God has said of Himself: “My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine” (Isaiah 55:8).
God’s ways may be inscrutable to us (v.9), but the way to God is simple: Turn away from your sins and turn to God (vv.6-7; Acts 3:19). Isaiah says, “Let the wicked change their ways. . . . Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously” (55:7). And that’s exactly what the Malaysian gangster experienced. He’s now an ex-gangster who loves God and others.
The invitation to come to God is given three times in verses 1 to 3. Come is one of the most inviting words in Scripture. God invites anyone and everyone to come to Him, to find life, and to experience His love (v.3). “It’s all free!” (v.1). Come. If God can change the heart of a gangster, He can change you. —K.T. Sim
God has invited us to come to Him. Have you accepted His invitation? What must you do to come to Him today?
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