Call unto the Lord

Psalm 91 - Study 5 - Call unto the Lord

We read in Psalm 91:21, I will say to the LORD, "You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust." (GW)

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, if we were to take a moment to analyze our prayers, we would be surprised to know that most of them are self-centered. Our prayers pertain to ourselves, our families, our work, our health and our future. However, the things that David sought after from God are in total contrast to what predominantly occupies our thoughts and prayers.

This Sunday is one-of-a-kind in the history of our country, and of the world as well. A Sunday when people of God had no way to gather together to worship the Lord as we usually do. There is something that we as a church have failed to do, which is probably the reason for the calamity that we are facing right now. If we give heed to the word of the Lord, repent and get back to Him, the Lord will look down with compassion and bring back blessing to our nation and to the world.

·         The people of Israel forgot the Lord

We read in 1 Samuel 12:9-10, But they forgot the LORD their God. So he handed them over to Sisera, who was the commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. All of them fought against your ancestors. Then they cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned. We have abandoned the LORD and served other gods and goddesses-the Baals and the Astartes. But rescue us from our enemies now, and we will serve you.' (GW)

In the above mentioned verse the people of Israel had forgotten all about God.  God punished them and handed them over to be devastated by their adversaries. It was only when they were surrounded by enemies on all sides, and were challenged with utter destruction did they remember to call on the Lord.

Since we live in Ooty which is a hill station, many of us may have had this experience which I am sharing.  We may suddenly receive a call from a relative or acquaintance whom has not been in touch with us for many years. While we are glad that they have re-connected with us, somewhere towards the end of the conversation, they may inform us that they are planning to visit Ooty sometime soon. They remembered us only because they were in need of a favor from us. So also many of us have no place in our lives for God, don’t care to remember Him, but run to Him only to have our needs met.

We live in a strange time when our possessions, position, or our influence can do nothing to save us from this calamity that we are challenged with.  Only the Lord in His grace can save us from these disastrous situations that we are faced with right now.

The church of God has regressed in their understanding of who we really are.  We have started to use this as an organization to have our babies christened, our children married, and our funerals taken care of. May we be reminded that the purpose of the church is to worship the Lord, and to be that community who will lift our voices in prayer for our needs, and those of the entire world.

The second coming of the Lord is at hand, it will be sudden, and if we are not prepared to receive Him we will be left behind.  Jesus explained this in detail when He said that there will be two in a field, and one will be taken and the other left back.  So also two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and the other left behind.  We must all be ready for the second coming of the Lord Jesus.

Isn’t it strange that we are very prompt to keep reminders for all the bills that have to be paid, but have no time to remember God?

We read in Jeremiah 2:32, A young woman can't forget her jewelry or a bride her veils. Yet, my people have forgotten me for countless days. (GW)

We as a church have become content with all that is outward and superficial.  We have forgotten the Lord for innumerable days. However, if we repent and turn to the Lord, He will surely look down on us with mercy.

We read in Zechariah 1:3, Tell the people, 'This is what the LORD of Armies says: Return to me, declares the LORD of Armies, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Armies.' (GW)

The call of the Lord of the Armies is that His people should return to Him. When we do so the Lord promises us that He will indeed return back to us. This world, and the things of this world are temporary and transitory.  Only those things that we do to invest for the kingdom of God are going to have eternal value.

·         The people of Israel repent and turn back to God

We read in 1 Samuel 12:10, Then they cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned. We have abandoned the LORD and served other gods and goddesses-the Baals and the Astartes. But rescue us from our enemies now, and we will serve you.' (GW)

The people of Israel confessed two major sins to the Lord. Firstly, that they had abandoned the Lord and secondly that they had served others gods and goddesses. Nonetheless, the Israelites recognized their faults, repented of their sins, and turned back to serve the living God.

There are many like the Israelites who are serving their ego, their families, their jobs and their finances.  Woefully, none of these thing will save them in the day of disaster.  The call of God is therefore that we too return to the Lord in repentance, so that He can save us and deliver us from these disasters that surround us.

We read in Jeremiah 2:13“For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. (WEB)

The Lord too declared the same in the above mentioned verse. They have forsaken the Lord who is the true spring of living water, and cut out for themselves broken cisterns (sought after other gods) which can hold no water.

These gods no matter what they are can never save us from any of these calamities that befall us. These broken cisterns will never satisfy, because they can never be filled up as they are cracked. These broken cisterns that God talks about is our dependence on all the worldly pursuits and material things that are certainly bound to let us down one day.

We have a great example in Job who was faced with untold misery, he lost his entire family and wealth all at once. In the midst of such grief and chaos, Job could say, in Job 1:21,The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (ESV) This was because Job understood who God was, and perceived everything from God’s divine perspective.

Another great example is Abraham. He received his beloved son Isaac, the son of promise when he was hundred years old. When God asked him to sacrifice his son, he immediately obeyed with no questions whatsoever. He knew who God was, and trusted Him completely.

Many of us are distraught because we have not understood who our God really is. We grumble, are disheartened and miss out on the peace that God desires to give to us. It is a peace that passes all human understanding. Let us believe that God can sustain us no matter what difficulties or hardships surround us.

Come to the spring of living water to get your thirst quenched

We read in John 4:10, Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” (ESV)

The above mentioned verse is from Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman whom he met near the well in Samaria. Jesus had to assure her that is she came to Him, the fountain of living water, He would satisfy her every real thirst. She received the gift of God and had her thirst quenched that day when she met Jesus.

Let us for a while take our eyes of all the pestilence that surrounds us, and look to Jesus. We will look to the Lord and say, as the Psalmist said in Psalm 121:1-2, I will lift up my eyes to the hills,
from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. (NKJV)

We will conclude with the words of David in Psalm 91:2, I will say to the LORD, "You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust." (GW)

Prayer:

Our gracious and loving God, we call unto You and acknowledge that without You we are lost.  We truly have missed honoring You with our time and energy.  We have been so selfish pursuing our own goals but ultimately we have messed up everything.  Father, at this time we confess our sins and ask for Your intervention at this hour of need.  Help us to come to you, the source of living water.  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen

Br. Dixon
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Transcribed by Sis. Esther Collins