Calling On God
Would you like God to be close to you?
Verse of the Day
‘The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.’
Today’s Devotional
Have you ever been having a casual conversation with someone and suddenly the topic of conversation went deep and personal? When that happens, there is a shift. It’s as if something inside of you knows that the importance has changed. It’s no longer casual and light. The words heard and said from this point on carry a different meaning, one that really matters.
Raw and authentic communication seems to be rare. But when it happens, it is really special.
According to David, the author of today’s verse, God values our authentic words. And there is nothing more truthful and raw than voicing my need for God.
I can’t “call on” someone that I don’t believe in. I won’t call on someone I don’t trust. I won’t call on someone who I don’t think is likely to answer. If I had an emergency, there is a short list of people on my cell phone’s “favorites” list who I would call, all of whom would jump into action.
God wants to be on our short list. In fact, God wants to be the first One we call every single day. And when we call on Him in truth, it means that we are being real with Him. We aren’t reading our Bible or saying prayers because we are “supposed to”. We are talking to Him because we want to, because we trust Him, because we know that He will answer us, because we are aware of our dire need for Him, and because we are keenly aware of how grateful we are that the Master of the Universe calls us His friend.
When we call on God in truth, David says that God is close to us in those moments. We know from other verses in the Bible that God is always near, but there is something about our authenticity that clears up any distance we may have unintentionally placed between us and God. It’s as if the connection, which is always there, suddenly clears up. Like when someone with bad cell phone reception moves to a different room where the reception is very strong. They were always on the line, but you couldn’t hear them clearly. Our authentic words to God moves us into a place where our reception of Him is crystal clear. At that point, we simply need to listen.
Journal Prompts
Take the time today to take your journal and pen and write out your truthful call to God. Include your gratitude, your need for Him, your trust in Him, and all your concerns about your day. Then listen.