Answering The Call
ISAIAH 51:1-8
Answering the call? Who? Have you heard God calling you? Yes – you! Do you consider yourself faithful? Do you consider yourself righteous? Do you seek righteousness?
“Listen to Me, My people; and give ear to me, O My nation: for law will proceed from Me, and I will make justice rest as a light of the peoples.” Isaiah 51:7 NKJ
“I the LORD, have called you in righteousness, and I will hold your hand; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles.” Isaiah 42:6 NKJ
“Listen to ME!” Who is this ME?” Notice in 42:6 the word LORD is in all capital letters, which distinguishes The Almighty LORD God from The Lord Jesus Christ, where only the letter L is capitalized. So, we are hearing from The Almighty God the Father.
You see, God says listen to HIM through His word! Much of God’s Word is written as a historical account of events orchestrated and ordained by HIM. If we don’t listen to God; if we don’t hear from God how can we have peace? How can we have hope in the future here on earth and in the hereafter?
It is not enough to listen and hear only from the pulpit, only from a radio or television broadcast. It is good to listen to and hear pastors but it is not enough. We must get to a point where we hear GOD!
Just look at the state of the world – God’s very own creation. Do you think God’s people got themselves into this mess by listening to God? Do you? Or perhaps just maybe we are in this state by listening to men and women who have perverted the Word of God. By listening and following leaders who seek to place themselves in a position of eminence.
Think about it.
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJ
Now there’s enough right there to answer the above question. Saying the words just won’t get it. Living it out is what God seeks from us. Prayers are lifted up daily and on the Sabbath, all over the world asking for world peace. But those are words. God is looking for those who seek His righteousness; for those seeking to live out His righteousness.
Living out God’s righteousness does not mean practicing religion; practicing tradition; practicing rituals or any of that. It means listening to God. It means living for God and it does mean obedience alright. The obedience God wants is obedience to Him but NOT legalism. Part of that is sharing His Word and His love without judgment or criticism.
Does that sound difficult? It sure as heck does! It can be downright demoralizing. We are an impatient lot. We seek immediate answers and immediate gratification, even from God. Don’t we? Be honest with yourself, don’t we to some degree? So, when it doesn’t happen, we ease into doubt and maybe even into rebellion of one sort or another. Like a SPOILED CHILD - in Jesus’ Name. Ouch that hurts. It was meant to.
So, we regroup and get back on our knees and pray: “But God, when?”
“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8 NKJ
“For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry”. Habakkuk 2:3 NKJ
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not the man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6-8 NKJ
If we study God’s Word and the recorded historical events, we soon find that God keeps His word. God fulfills His promises. Maybe not how you or I expected but how He deems!
Let’s go back to Isaiah 51:7 – Does it take an English major to understand what God is saying here?
“Listen to ME, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is my law: do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults.” NKJ
We can listen and hear from GOD or man. How did Noah react to the jeering and insults when he was building the ark? Thomas Edison and the light bulb? Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone or the Wright brothers with the airplane.
Borrowing from Warren Wiersbe’s Exposition Commentary on the Book of Isaiah – pages 56 &57:
Hearken – Look Back and Remember- Proven history
- Look Forward – Better things are coming
- Look Within – What do you see? Fear or Doubt or FAITH
Awaken - Wake up, get out of that state of complacency – You know Que Sera Sera (Whatever will be will be) My apologies to Doris Day
- Each of us needs to get on that train of prayer – seeking and doing the Will of God.
Depart – Leave the old behind – Pick up and get on with it – don’t look back at past failures.
I’m not talking simply about sin – I’m talking about being HIS!
Are you HIS? ALL HIS? 24/7?
Let’s pray
