Call on God Now

 

Isaiah 55:6-7(NLT)
“Seek the Lord while you can find him.  Call on him now while he is near.  7; Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong.  Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.  Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.”

“Leave it in God’s Hands baby, He’ll fix it.”

Those are the words my mother gave me when I was thirty-four years old and deep in depression. I’d been divorced for three years and found myself in another relationship with a man that loved me, but not enough for a real commitment. He was a blues artist and traveled the world for a living. We saw each other whenever he came home off the road. His gigs would last for weeks at a time, but for two years, we had the best relationship I ever had, or so I thought. He said to me, “We have the kind of relationship that most married folks only dream of.” This declaration was meant to appease me every time I’d mention marriage. He’d say, “We shouldn’t spoil a good thing by bringing marriage into the picture.” For a while this worked, but as time progressed, I had to face the reality that he didn’t hold me in a place of honor and respect in his life.  

Needless to say, I was heartbroken that he didn’t want to marry me. I blamed myself for not being enough for him, and I just couldn’t be satisfied with the way he saw me no matter how hard I tried. I knew that the relationship was not going to go anywhere, and I ended things. Looking back, I realize that I placed great expectations on this man’s love. I wanted it to have depth, compassion, and an uncompromising loyalty. I wanted it to fill the place in my heart that all of us reserve for someone truly special to us. He couldn’t be that for me, and I was crushed. I was in a dark place for a long time. 

No one would argue that a broken heart can be very difficult to overcome. Your mind is consumed with regrets, and you desperately want the pain to go away. The disappointment overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t imagine putting myself at risk like that again. I didn’t want to hear anything about meeting another man and avoided relationships like the plague. After a while, I realized that I had substituted fear for the pain of heartbreak, and the fear was a greater sadness than the disappointment.  

2Timothy 1:7(ESV) tells us, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” I thought I was afraid of getting hurt again, but I was more afraid of my inability to love without conditions and expectations. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to exercise self-control, but instead, I might be a slave to whether someone thought I was worthy of their love. 

It’s terrible when we allow another person to determine or undermine our self-worth. 1Corinthians 7:23 (NIV) informs us, “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings.” Our liberty was purchased by the blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. He gave his life on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. 1Corinthians 6:20(NLT) says, “For God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” God, our Father, has redeemed us from eternal death and darkness. He paid the highest price imaginable for our freedom, He gave the life of His only begotten Son. By the sacrifice God has made for us, He has informed us of our value. He etched it in stone for all eternity, and no one can undo what He has done.  

We should never look to a human being to tell us our worth. God has established this already. Our privilege and responsibility are to walk in what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:2(NIV) instructs, “and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” 

The promises in God’s Word give us peace and comfort from heartbreak. When we have faith in His love, it cancels out fear. His love is the only remedy for all our disappointment, sadness, and pain, and His Word soothes our souls. Isaiah 55:6-7 encourages us to seek God while we can find him. This is such an important word for us. Faith comes from reading and hearing God’s Word, and we need faith in God to do anything and everything in life. When we do not study and read God’s Word, our minds may not be renewed to His promises. This means that we may not have the spiritual strength and stamina needed for the issues of life, because we haven’t built our faith in His Word.  

When we haven’t built the faith to trust and believe what God says, we may lack the spiritual strength to deal with hurtful issues. Then, when our minds are frantic with grief, and our hearts are breaking, we can get in such a state that we won’t seek God. Our minds and hearts might tell us He doesn’t care, and when this happens, we sink further into an abyss of hurt and pain. We’re far from Him, but He is never far from us. All we need to do is reach out to Him in humility and reverence, but many of us won’t do this.  

1Corinthians 14:33(NLT) tells us, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.” Confusion in our personal lives means there are areas where we need to invite God’s healing and love. He will encourage us step outside the prison of pain and fear, and to come into the glorious light of Jesus Christ. If you are in the depth of despair and disappointment, call on God now! He is near, so draw near to Him. His grace and mercy are everything we need. Cling to Him, and you find joy and peace, and He will give you the faith to begin again, and through His Word you will learn to love yourself and others through Christ.  

 Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

“Call on God Now”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2022. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.