Calling Home

O

ne Saturday morning around 6:30 a.m. Texas time, I picked up my cell phone and dialed my parents’ number.  My mom answered the phone on the second ring she wanted to know if everything was all right with me.  You see, it had at least two days since we’d spoken and when that happens it usually means I’m too busy.  Not to be outdone, my dad picked up one of the extensions and chimed in with a cheery good morning. 

As I balanced the phone in one hand, I attempted to fry sausage patties with the other.  This proved to be much more difficult than I anticipated but the sausage survived with no burns or blemishes to speak of.  We continued to speak for a few minutes and after catching up on all the news, we said our goodbyes and I finished cooking breakfast.

As I lay the phone on the counter, I couldn’t help but thinking how fortunate I am to be able to speak with my parents on almost a daily basis.  I say almost, because sometimes I get too busy and the call just doesn’t get made!  Now, I don’t call because I have to and I don’t call because I can’t make my own decisions or live my own life.  I call because I want to and because I know that keeping in touch with home is always a good idea.  Always!

David knew the importance of calling on the Lord and he understood that we need to have constant and consistent contact with him.  Without this contact, we are left wandering in the dark and wondering what God is doing in our lives.  That’s why David penned the following words in Psalm 145:18: “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth”

Who better than David, a man after God’s own heart, to remind us of how near God is to those who love him, to those who have accepted his gift of salvation, and to those who know him as their Heavenly Father.  Two words stand out from this passage today.  The first word is near.  God is near to us, he is as close as our thoughts, as close as our pulse, and he watches over us and cares for us from second to second.  It was David who also wrote in Psalm 139 that there is nowhere we can go to escape God’s presence. Yes, God is very close.

The second word from this verse also happens to be the last one in the sentence.  Notice that David says we must call upon the Lord in truth, meaning with all sincerity, with all we are, from the depths of our hearts.  Only when we seek God in this manner, only when we worship him in spirit and in truth, only when we earnestly seek his face, will he answer us.  This does not mean God plays games with us; on the contrary, it means we must not play games with him.  We must be earnest and determined in our desire to call upon the Lord and we must realize that it is no small thing to call upon his name.  It is the most important thing we can do!

On that Saturday morning, my parents spoke to me because I am their son.  The relationship we share is special and cannot be erased or altered by time or distance.  The only thing that can change it is if I don’t pick up the phone and call home.  When I refuse to do that, our relationship suffers because there is no sharing between us.  Is it any different with the Lord?  I think not.  If it is important to maintain contact with our families, how much more important is it to maintain contact with our Heavenly Father?  How long has it been since you called home and talked with your Heavenly Father?  Don’t you think you should make that call today?