O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. –Psalm 139:1-4
I love phone technology. I’m not talking about today’s smart phones, but I’m talking about simpler features like caller ID and voice mail. They are great! If someone calls me and either I don’t want to talk to them, don’t recognize the number, or simply don’t have time to talk, I can silence my ringer and send them straight to voicemail and hear what they have to say later. Then, when I call others back, they can do the same to me. I think my longest game of phone tag lasted almost three months…
Despite my love for technology, I am so thankful that with the Lord, there is no phone tag, no voicemail and no need for caller ID. When we cry out to the Lord, He knows who is calling and in fact, He is waiting for us to do just that. I love the praise song, “He Knows My Name.” The chorus goes like this: He knows my name, he knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls and He hears me when I call. God answers every time. There is no three-month wait, no deciding He doesn’t feel like talking to us, no secretary screening calls and no deciding He doesn’t have the time.
For me, there are times I wish God would let my call roll into His voice mail… especially when I need to confess my sins. And, there are a variety of things that hold us back from calling out to Him. Maybe you’re embarrassed because you haven’t been making the right decisions, or perhaps you haven’t talked to Him in a while, or feel like you only call to Him when you need something, or maybe you just aren’t sure where to start.
Know this: He knows your name. He has searched you inside and out and knows everything about you; nothing you say will surprise Him. And what’s even better is that the Bible tells us there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love. Nothing. So you don’t need to worry that He doesn’t love you anymore and doesn’t want to hear from you. He’s waiting.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Take time right now to pray. If you are not sure where to start, begin by thanking God for the blessings He has given you.
2. What keeps you from calling out to the Lord? How can you remind yourself that He always wants to hear from you?
FURTHER READING:
John 10:11-16; 2 Timothy 2:19