CALL ON HIM IN TRUTH

“The Lord is close to all

who call on him,

yes, to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18 NLT

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It doesn’t take much time in the Scriptures to become aware that some of God’s promises are unconditional (meaning God will bring about what has been promised no matter what). For example, Jesus said,
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

God has also made promises that are conditional (meaning a condition or conditions must be met before the promised benefits can be realized). Our key Bible verse today is an example of a conditional promise. The Lord is close to all who . . .

The Lord is present everywhere, all of the time, and in that sense He is close to everyone, believers and unbelievers as well whether we are aware of it or not. But the closeness of the Lord referred to in today’s promise is something special! It is the sensing of the loving presence of the Lord which only believers are capable of experiencing, and only when they meet the conditions - call on him, yes, . . . call on him in truth.

To call on the Lord in truth is more than just saying some religious sounding words and going through the motions. It means, like David, sincerely calling out to God from the bottom of our heart – Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. As we turn from what offends God, He forgives us, and deep within we sense His comforting nearness.

When life moves along smoothly with few bumps we can be tempted to let the things of the Lord slip. Bible reading, prayer and Godly living are easily neglected, and before we realize it, we don’t sense His precious nearness as we once did.

On the other hand, our life may seem way out of control, with trouble on every hand – finances – health – marriage . . . and it feels like the Lord is worlds away. Then added to our aloneness is the realization that we have drifted from Him and have neglected our relationship with Him.

No matter what may have caused us to lose that close relationship we once knew with our Lord, it wasn’t the Lord who moved. The way back into that closeness is the same for all of us: CALL ON HIM IN TRUTH for The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.

The Lord is close to all who call on Him

How are you doing today? Having a great day with a sense of the Lord’s nearness? Or have you had better days and today isn’t one of them?

Life can be a battle, because we have an enemy who works overtime to make God seem far away. He works on our minds, especially when we are tired and discouraged. He feeds us a string of lies – “it will never get better - you won’t get out of this - there’s no hope - God doesn’t care for you - He has forsaken you.”

But just the opposite is true! Like today’s promise assures us - our Lord is filled with kindness and is close to praying people. Numerous Scriptures show us that He is near to us no matter how we may feel or what we are going through. His Word says, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”(a) “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.”(b) “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”(c) “For God has said I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”(d)

The truth is our Lord is always close to us. It’s only when we pay attention to Satan’s whispered lies that doubts begin to fill our minds and God seems far away. We need to deliberately choose to trust God's promises without any reservations and believe that He is the only one who can help us as we “call on him in truth.” Praying “in truth” is praying in faith and not giving up until the load is lifted – until the prayer is answered. The answer may come surprisingly soon or it may take a long time coming. The important point is that we keep on praying until the answer is realized. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” The context of that passage deals with persistence in prayer until the answer comes.(e)

So if today finds you feeling sorry for yourself – downhearted and God seems a million miles away – cry out to Him for help to focus on His promises rather than the negative stuff the enemy tells you. Start praising the Lord for His promises and claim them for your very own – and keep on doing it! Remember – “The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.”




Let’s Pray-
Father, if someone reading these comments today has fallen for the lies of the enemy – please grant them faith to claim your promises. Thank you that a sense of your presence is on the way as they call on you in truth. And Father, thank you also that “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”(f)
Amen




Footnotes:
(a) Psalm 23:9, (b) Psalm 27:10, Psalm 34:18, (d) Hebrews 13:5b, (e) Luke 11:5-10, (f) Isaiah 26:3

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If today’s promise and comments have been meaningful to you – don’t hesitate to leave a comment. (Single space gives best appearance.)