Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV)
I’ve had the opportunity recently of dealing with several large corporations by phone, and the experience has been less than joyful. Rarely have I reached a real person on my initial call, and I get handed from person to person after I’ve explained in detail my need. You know the drill as well as I do.
Now, can you imagine this scenario: You have a specific need, and you need to talk to the Lord, so you punch in the speed dial for heaven.
“Hello, you’ve reached heaven. Due to the large volume of calls this morning, your wait may be longer than usual, but your call is important to us. Please stay on the line.”
As you wait, Amazing Grace is played through the heavenly connection.
Finally, after an inordinately long amount of time, a recorded voice says, “If you want to speak to a lesser saint, press 1; to speak to your last preacher, press 2; to speak with Peter, press 3…to speak to God, press 7.” You press 7, and a voice says, “God is busy with the crisis in … and cannot come to the phone just now, but he does want to talk to you. Just leave your name, number, time you called, and your concern. Be assured that the Great Cloud of Witnesses will be discussing your situation in the meantime. Bless you.”
Thanks be to God, this IS NOT what happens. Jeremiah tells us that God answers when we call him (Jer. 33:3). The Psalmist says that when we call, God saves us and hears our voices (Psa. 55:16-17). Isaiah tells us, remarkably, that God sometimes answers before we call and hears while we are speaking (65:24). And Micah (7:7) also reminds us that God hears us.
God ALWAYS hears us. He ALWAYS answers us. Sometimes we keep calling because we don’t manage to get connected. The trouble is not with God; it’s with us. We’re halfhearted in our efforts or unbelieving in our attempts. But God has told us that IF WE CALL, HE WILL ANSWER. It may take us a while to still ourselves to get into his presence, but he is there WAITING.
Father, you invite us to call in Jeremiah, and in Song of Solomon, you tell us you want to hear our voices. Strengthen our faith and help us to persist in reaching out in confidence to you. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.
agodforeveryday 