Tag: call upon you

31.q. “For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek Him”

 

Matthew 7:7  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

 Psalms 10:17   O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

 Jeremiah 33:3  Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

 Psalms 50:15    and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

 Jeremiah 29:12-13    Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

 Psalms 86:5   For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

 Isaiah 55:6-7   “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;  let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

 Psalms 69:32  When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.

 Amos 5:4   For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;

 Proverbs 8:17     I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

 Hebrews 11:6   And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Revelation 3:17-18   For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Yet the image of knocking also implies that there is a door that can be opened. “His doors are meant to open: they were made on purpose for entrance, and so the blessed gospel of God is made on purpose for you to enter into life and peace. It would be of no use to knock at a wall, but you may wisely knock at a door, for it is arranged for opening.” (Spurgeon)

One would think knocking on the door implies that there is someone on the other side of it. Why would a person knock on the door if no one was expected to be there to answer it? How many, though, come and knock with no expectation, but rather to see if anyone is home. Their knock is empty, soundless, and void of belief, trust, faith, and reliance on Jesus Christ. Their knock is not with any expectation, by faith, that Jesus Christ is, out of grace, mercy, and love, waiting for their knock. No, the knock by this person is not in humble surrender to Jesus Christ with a humble believing heart that believes God’s Word; “Knock and it will be opened to you”. 

We are invited to a door that leads to the Creator of all there is, All-Powerful, All-knowing Almighty God. Coming to and knocking on this door should be reverent of who is on the other side. How many times do we knock on this door with a heart that is nothing more than an expectant demand? Shouldn’t our knock be humble? Shouldn’t our knock be reverent? Shouldn’t we know we are on holy ground while standing before this door? Are we to stand there with puffed-out chests demanding to be let in and our requests heard? Let it never be so. Let us come before this door with awe, humbleness, belief, trust, and reliance in He who is more than able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. Let us examine our hearts before knocking.  Let our knock be pure of heart, mind, and soul, and then there will be honor and glory to whom all honor and glory belong.

11.y. “They will call upon my name, and I will answer them”

Psalm 17:3    You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.  I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.

Psalms 66:10    For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.

Zechariah 13:9     And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

1 Peter 1:7     so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:4    For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

Testing and refining come to every Christian.  It comes in different forms and at various times in our lives. It can come physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and relationally.  We lie in bed at night unable to sleep as the burden laid on our hearts and minds consumes our sleep.  There are times we just can’t seem to handle anymore.  William Gruanll said something like this, “Faith is a plant that grows more in the darkness than in the light”.   When we cry out to God with the burdens weighing heavy on our soul, that is ok and right for us to acknowledge before Him.  We acknowledge that it is beyond our strength and ability to handle it.  Crying out to God is the one place our burdens will be lifted.  Oh, we try and try to handle it on our own over and over again, but we end up at the same place we started – trying to carry a burden we were never intended to carry alone.  Why do we cry out to God?  God will answer!  God has promised, “Come on to Me all who labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest.”  “you will find rest for your souls.” But, there are times our path in life has taken a road/path that leads us away from God.  There are many temptations that our sinful nature will grab on to that lead us in to being apart from God.  In these times it is good for God to lay burdens on our hearts and minds so heavy that our souls find no peace.  Maybe we will turn from our wayward path and turn back to Him.  There are other times, in our lives, we are walking in the light of His Word and, best to our ability, humbly serving, honoring, glorifying, worshiping, following, trusting, and obeying Him and still, a trial/burden lands deep into our hearts and minds.  We lie awake at night and our heart aches and our mind mulls over and over again that which is giving us no peace or rest.  It is in these times we cry out to God and thank Him for His promises.  We acknowledge that we are helpless and lay our burdens at His feet, trusting, by faith, He will lift the burden and carry it for us.  He has promised it and is more than capable to give us peace and rest over it.  “Faith is a plant that grows more in the darkness than in the light”, water it with the Word of God, fertilize it with steadfast faith, and rejoice in the fruit it will produce. Quit trying to carry a burden we were never intended to carry alone.

Living God, Steadfast love

Psalms 86:1    Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.  Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.  Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.  Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.  For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.  Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.  In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.  There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.  All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.  For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.

Isaiah 61:3     to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

Isaiah 66:13     As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.  You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

Psalms 62:8    Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalms 143:8     Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Exodus 15:11     “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Daniel 6:26     I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.  He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

There is a peace that comes to mind when reading these verses.  They speak of God’s dominion, rescuing power, signs, wonders, comfort, holiness, refuge, deliverance, grace, and steadfast love.  These words speak of our LIVING GOD.  They were spoke in during times of trouble or immediately after being delivered.  The depth of the heart cry speaks of the hope and trust they had in God.  The out pouring of praise and worship during their time of trouble reveals their heart and soul reliance in God.  God’s signs and wonders are  around us if our eyes, ears, heart and mind desire to seek, hear, and see His work.  We might see the change of heart at work in people.  We may see joy in someones life.  We may see deliverance from sin.  We may see conviction, confessing and true forgiveness.  We may see peace that passes all understanding.  We may find hope when it appears there is none.  We may have victory over a besetting sin.  We have understanding and knowledge from His word.  We may have success over a difficult task.  Spend time in His word.  Seek to know and understand the depths of His power, might, and steadfast love.  Choose to be a humble servant, ever thankful, ever seeking to honor, ever wanting to follow, and heart set on obedience.