Hello or Woe

"I made the earth, formed it, and set it in place. My name is the Lord. This is what the Lord says: Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know."
Jeremiah 33:2-3 God's Word Translation

One of the great frustrations in parenting is calling your child, knowing they can hear your call, and they don't answer. It's just as frustrating in business, and even socially; you call on the phone and get no answer. Nobody likes it. Sometimes, there are reasons for it, especially when you're at work, but other times, we're just busy. Don't you hate that? I know I do - and what I hate even more is that sometimes I'm the one guilty of being busy...

Wanna know something? God hates it, too. And He hates it with a passion. I woke up with 'Answer' on my brain, so I did a word search for 'call answer' on BibleGateway. I was looking for Scripture pertaining to how God answers when we call on Him - and I found those - but I found more Scriptures about what God does and will do when He calls and we don't answer. Woe be unto us! Literally...

However, there are great promises for those who WILL hear God's call and answer Him. Our text for today and these two are some of my favorite passages:

Isaiah 65:23-24, "They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed. I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"

Psalm 91:14-16, "The Lord says, I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation."

We all love to read how God will answer us when we call, but it's only when we are obedient and listen to His voice. Follow His commands. He's not obligated to hear us if we won't hear Him.

Think about it for a moment. Has God spoken to you - called to get your attention about something? Did you answer? It's either Hello or Woe... Answer the call.

Prayer:

Father,
          Forgive us for our disobedience - our rebellion - in not responding when You call us. Let our hearts respond to You as Samuel did, 'Here am I'. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen