Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals: Wednesday June 4 2025
Isaiah 55:6-7-Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
Joe (not his real name) told me that Jesus couldn’t possibly love him after the things that he had done which landed him in jail. I still remember the conversation with the young man who had turned to a life of addiction, drug abuse, sexual sin, animal sacrifice, and Satanism. This was followed by arrest for drug trafficking, public intoxication, and prostitution (among other things). When Joe and I had met in our local church jail ministry, he was looking at a bleak future, and the idea of a God Who could love and forgive him was as foreign to him as anything he could imagine. What a thrill it was to later baptize him into Christ as we studied on Christian evidences and this Scripture from Isaiah in particular.
The word “wicked” Isaiah uses has a very interesting meaning in the Old Testament.
“It has been said that there are three classes, or kinds, of sin in the Hebrew Old Testament. (1) The lightest infractions are those that are called chet, chata, chatta’ah, or chattath, a fault, a shortcoming, a misstep, to sin, err, miss the mark. (2) Of a more serious nature are the sins described by ‘avon, ‘avah, or ‘aven, a breaking of a commandment, iniquity. (3) The most serious sins are those called pesha’ (transgression) and resha’ (wickedness). There is the idea of rebellion involved in pesha’, and of what has become a habit or state in resha’. Psalm 106:6 mentions all three words, “We have sinned (chata) like our fathers, we have committed iniquity (avah), we have behaved wickedly (resha’).” A similar threefold list is found in Exodus 34:7, “Who forgives iniquity (‘avon), transgression (pesha’), and sin (chatta’ah).” (Gareth E Reese, New Testament Epistles: Romans-A Critical And Exegetical Commentary, 8626-8632 (Kindle Edition): Moberly, Missouri: Scripture Exposition Books LLC)
Grace isn’t only for the “nice” people who “slip up” and do wrong. It is for whosoever will, for all ungodly people:
Romans 5:6-For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Revelation 22:17-And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11-Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Joe had been taught by his coven leader (and others) that there couldn’t be a God Who loves and forgives. Sadly, he had also earlier in his life heard a preacher declare that God didn’t love every sinner but only a few “elect” ones who were predestined to be saved before they were born, and all the others had been foreordained to go to Hell. He figured he was just one of the unlucky ones who was Hell bound. It was “Good News” to hear that God loves every sinner and wants all of them to be saved (1 Timothy 2:1-6; 2 Peter 3:9). He gladly heeded the words that were also spoken to Saul of Tarsus:
Acts 22:16-And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Today, if you meet others who don’t believe they can be loved and saved, remind them that God loves all sinners and wants to redeem them all.
Lord, today please help me to remember Your grace and love for every sinner. Lead me to someone who needs to be encouraged with Your Word. Be with me. Amen.
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