Call Upon The Name Of The Lord
Do you know someone who’s in a real fix? You believe you can help them but don’t want to overstep your bounds. The Lord wants to help us, too, but he’ll wait until we call upon His name.
“The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name. Isaiah 65:1
Some people think they know something about God but don’t. Why? Because they believe that He sits in heaven waiting to pounce on people when they mess up.
How much further away from the truth can a person get? Isaiah painted a different picture of God. He said the Lord waits until we call on His name, asking for His help.
Instead of going to Him, we try to figure things out for ourselves. Sometimes, we feel that since we created the problem, we should solve it. But an even bigger reason exists.
It stems from the fact that we are wretched sinners. We wonder why God would want to help us since we have failed Him so often. But look what Isaiah said.
All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. Isaiah 65:2
The Lord opened His arms for His people to call on His name. He stands with His arms opened wide for us as well. Why did His people follow evil paths? For the same reasons, we do today.
Only Two Directions
The terms “evil paths and crooked schemes” may sound like offensive language to you. But when we walk through life’s problems on our own accord, we can create more problems.
We can only walk in two directions. We either walk away from God or with Him. Too many times, we expect the Lord to get on our bandwagon. But it doesn’t work that way.
When we expect the Lord to walk with us, we actually move away from Him. If you didn’t like the terms Isaiah used before, you won’t like the next thing he said.
All day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens. They burn incense on pagan altars. Isaiah 65:3
Sadly, the worship of idols happens more times than we want to admit. Recently, I wrote a devotion called The Sacred Place Where You Meet With God.
We’d be surprised how many Christians have places they consider sacred where they don’t invite God. Those places are no different than Isaiah’s sacred gardens in this chapter.
You may be saying, “I would never do that.” We do, though, and don’t realize it. They may come as slanderous or gossiping conversations, things we’d never say in front of Jesus.
Is God allowed on your Facebook page or other social media platforms? We could mention many other places people treat as sacred.
At this moment, if you feel uncomfortable or convicted, let the Holy Spirit deal with your heart. Then, call on the name of the Lord and invite Him into every area of your life. Isaiah continued.
Obedience or Disobedience?
At night they go out among the graves, worshiping the dead. They eat the flesh of pigs and make stews with other forbidden foods. Isaiah 65:4
For us, this isn’t about walking through a cemetery or eating bacon, but it deals with disobeying God. Salvation starts with a prayer but continues by committing our lives to Him.
In Romans, the Apostle Paul wrote about offering our bodies as living sacrifices. Jesus, however, connected our love for Him and obedience to Him in the same sentence.
Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. John 14:21
So far, Isaiah said that if we call on the name of the Lord, He will answer. He still answers even though we have rebelled, insulted, and disobeyed Him. But the prophet mentioned one more.
Yet they say to each other, ‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away. Isaiah 65:5
In this verse, the prophet says the Lord takes an immovable stand against pride. When Peter walked with Jesus in his early days, pride often surfaced in him. But later, he wrote this.
And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5
Make sure you understand exactly what both Isaiah and Peter said. If pride plagues you, God doesn’t hate you. He just can’t stand the pride. He loves you enough, though, to help you change.
We Can Call upon the Name of the Lord Anytime
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
Isaiah’s prophetic words spanned inclusively across an array of time that extended into the Millennium. We will stray away from God when we go through life on our own.
But no matter what, He always loves us. So when you stray, quickly turn to Him and call on the name of the Lord.
I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! Isaiah 65:24
God is ready to be found and is ready to help. Are you ready to call upon the name of the Lord?
Lord, I call upon your name right now to . . .
Check out these related posts as you call upon the Lord and give Him thanks.
- Give God Thanks With All Of Your Heart
- A Lifetime Of Thanks And Heart Full Of Praise
- Every Thing Gives Him Thanks, Great Is The Lord!
- Make A Simple Sacrifice of Thanks to The Lord
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