Engage Him
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord,..
(Isaiah 1:18, NKJV)
There have been times when I have felt overwhelmed and numb by what is happening around me. Despite my search for understanding, I find that I do not have the capacity to even scratch the surface. In such moments, there is a strong longing for help, not from a fellow human being but the Lord who not only understands all things but also who has good plans for me. In moments of perceived darkness all around, the temptation to reach out and escape is strong. For many, such situations raise only one question “why?”. If you have ever had a child on a ‘why’ moment, you know it is an exhausting question whose answer is never enough, with every why there is another why that follows. I do not know how you have handled such instances, where we like children hang on to the question – why?.
Our reference verse serves as God’s answer to these moments of seeming confusion. I am encouraged that the Lord God Almighty, invites you and I to come to Him for a conversation. He is not worried about what we present to Him, we can throw all that is within us to Him and He will handle it, after all, He knows all about our cares even before we come to Him. The invitation is open in spite of our condition, there is a promise to find healing and cleansing in His presence. As I meditated on this verse, I noted that God desires that we engage with His word and His promises to us. He is not aloof or distant to our concerns, He understands our frailties as human beings and longs for us to draw close to Him that we may hear His heart for us.
Often times, we take things as they are but maybe we could gain revelation from the Holy Spirit if we asked God to help us understand. In the bible, we find individuals who chose to seek clarity from God at a personal level and He responded. When the angel visited Mary and informed her that she would bear the Saviour of the world, Mary asked questions and she got answers. She wondered how she would conceive without a man and the angel responded that it was the work of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:28-38). This clarity must have presented to Mary the weight of the responsibility bestowed upon her, a clarity which guided her throughout the life of Jesus. It came from her questioning of the angel. King Hezekiah is another who decided to plead with God against the decision of his death, and we read that God granted him 15 more years. Hezekiah dared to ask and remind God of his life and following this conversation, the message of death was changed as years were added (2 Kings 20:1-11). This would not have happened if Hezekiah had simply accepted what Prophet Isaiah had spoken to him at the beginning. Hezekiah did not just plead for additional years, but he also asked for a sign that God had indeed increased his years. Beloved, even this ask for a sign was granted by the shadow moving back ten steps. It is encouraging that God did not get tired of Hezekiah’s asking including for a sign. Another person who asked for a sign is Gideon when the angel met him at the threshing floor. Gideon had trouble believing that God would use him to lead a deliverance army and so he had many questions. All were answered over days to his satisfaction (Judges 6:11-40). Brethren, while to many these are interesting stories, I believe they present the level of intimacy and engagement that God desires us to have with Him. It is not just about blind obedience, it is about knowing the heart of the author of the word, God Himself. I am convinced that God does not get angry when we ask for understanding but that He draws us closer to impact in us true revelation not only of His word but also of His love. May this ignite in us a desire and a practice of a deeper, deliberate and trusting relationship with our God. Let us respond to His invitation to join Him right in His presence. May your relationship with Him be personal to you.
Thoughts:
How have you sought intimacy with God?
What personal revelations has He given you?
What signs has He shown you?