Call!

Call!

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth. Psalm 145:18 KJV

Of course, the personal life of the person who speaks matters. Today's extract is a psalm of praise by David, a man after God's heart. When you read the words of David, you know very clearly that he knew God personally. He was not always perfect, but his heart was always seeking after God. Even when he sinned, committing adultery, then murder, as soon as he was confronted with the sins, he quickly repented, even though he paid a huge public price for what he did in secret. It is his personal life story that now holds lessons for all of us today, and we will do well to consider all that He has written, so we can learn from his life and take appropriate steps. 

First, there has to be a personal knowledge of God for me to learn how to call on him. How can a man call on someone he has no personal information about? Being in church and hearing messages about God is just the foundation to that personal knowledge; I have to take the further step of taking that information, drilling down and applying it to my life. It is not enough to be able to quote the scripture by heart, though it is very important to know them, but I must also be ready to apply what I hear and know about this God to my daily life.

Secondly, the Lord referred to here is presented as one who can be approached. I do not know which God was introduced to us when we heard of him, but he is a God whose love we will spend all of eternity trying to fully understand. He makes it clear that he is approachable, and anyone, no matter what the past or present looks like, can draw near to this God and take advantage of all He is and has. He does not have classes, cliques or categories; when he says ALL, he really means all. As long as I have life and breath, I qualify. 

That is the basis of the fourth and final point: my heart. Why do I seek him: for fame or fortune; for ease or worldly pleasure; for power, connection and influence? Why do you seek him? Is it only about what you can get from him without any correspondent devotion or service from you? We seek to turn God into an automated teller machine, dispensing blessings to us, but we only come in to take, and we leave without even batting an eyelid. We do not care about our own responsibilities; all we are concerned about is our own entitlements.

Am I calling out a heart of truth, or a heart that only wants what it can see, touch, taste, hear or feel? God is never far away from any of us, but he is unable to work in and through a heart that is burdened by insincerity and hypocrisy. How can God trust a heart he does not control? How can he entrust such a heart with his true riches? In essence, my calling on God is for my own good, so that I can access all that God has prepared for me. He will not force himself on me, but he will also not leave me alone, until the end comes. Then, it will be too late. Before that time, I am encouraged to call on this God. His love is such that he will not let go, unless I let go to the end. Call; God's time of favour has come.