Calling on God

During the prophet Jeremiah’s lifetime, the world was perilous. Countries were at war. The Israelites were dispersed throughout many nations after Assyria overthrew them. Those living with Jeremiah in Judah were threatened by Babylon, who eventually destroyed Jerusalem and deported those who survived. Pessimism abounded, and great angst filled the hearts of those who pondered their future. Most of the world’s population was ungodly, resulting in chaos and turmoil. Yet, despite all this, God spoke to Jeremiah and encouraged him to call on Him in prayer.

God told His prophet that the Chaldeans would destroy Jerusalem and fill it with dead bodies (vs. 5). But then He revealed to Jeremiah in verse nine that in the future, the city would be restored, rebuilt, purified, forgiven, and blessed.
This city will bear on My behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good I will do for them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace I will bring about for them.
 
Meditation
Jeremiah 33:2-3—“The Lord who made the earth, the Lord who forms it to establish it, Yahweh is His name, says this:  Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.”
 
If we fail to cry out to our heavenly Father with our concerns and seek His thoughts, how can we expect Him to reveal His will and perhaps disclose what is unfathomable, inconceivable, or necessary?  If we let angst about our circumstances rob our joy and keep us in a perpetual state of fear, yet do not take our apprehensions to the Lord, we have failed to avail ourselves of His perspective and solution.

Darkness is the absence of light; perplexity is the lack of clarity. Many times in my life, when I have been unsure of what to do or how to understand complex situations, I have called out to God, and He has answered me. Sometimes, the answer was silence, and the problem resolved itself. Sometimes, I had to act in faith to what I believed He was asking me to do. Sometimes, He instructed me through specific Biblical passages as I shared in “Word from God” (https://www.firstcause.org/blog/word-from-god).

The fact that God encourages us to call on Him is incredible!  The Maker of the Universe gives us personal access to His presence. He cares to answer because He loves us. We call to Him because we love Him and trust He knows what is best for us.
           
Inspiration
"Do not reckon you have prayed unless you have pleaded, for pleading is the very marrow of prayer.  He who pleads well knows the secret of prevailing with God, especially if he pleads the blood of Jesus, for that unlocks the treasury of heaven."—Charles Spurgeon in The Power in Prayer
 
©2024 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  To receive these devotionals, go to www.firstcause.org and click the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice.     
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)