Psalm 116:2 (ESV) “Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.”
Some people can take forever to make a decision. This describes my husband to a T. He is a retired military officer, a COO of a company and has like a billion educational degrees. He is ultra smart and makes business decisions every day, but ultra slow in making big personal purchases. He looks at all the pros and cons, especially cons, of an investment, which drives me up a wall. This was no different when we purchased another MG (British) sports car. I had already owned one and I finally talked Jared into purchasing his own. Believe me when I say this, MG’s are therapeutic. When you drive one, and those of you who have, know you are the only one on the road. Shifting gears brings a smile on your face as you rev the engine, which sets the stage for adventure!
I will never forget the day we picked up his MG (GT). It looked beautiful, shiny and new (it was a 1972, Jared’s birth year) with all the updated features a car like that could give you. The owner was also our mechanic. He was a fantastic guy and gave us a great deal on the car. He made sure everything was in working order. Before Jared purchased the car though, it died on them while test driving. That should have been a “sign” that maybe this car wasn’t the one, but we both knew the joys of MG ownership, so we looked the other way and kept pressing onward. After updated repairs, shaking hands with the owner, and signing over the check, we were ready to take it home. As we left the parking lot, I could feel my smile starting to get bigger as I was the one who got to drive it home. As we entered on a four-lane highway, the car started acting funny. When I pushed the clutch down, it rattled and while I was in fourth gear, the car completely died. Jared was ahead of me, so I called him on my cell phone to turn back around.
Jared was beyond frustrated and kept saying, “I knew this was a bad decision!” I kept assuring him that MG’s are very unpredictable, and everything would be ok, even though I had a slight pit in my stomach as well. We called our mechanic to see about the issue. He didn’t answer the phone, so we continued to call until someone picked up. Long story short, we had to call a tow truck to get our little car back to our mechanic for repair. As I was looking down at the side of the truck, I noticed the words…”Don’t Cuss, Call Us.” I hollered laughing and said to Jared as it was getting towed, “You know, there is laughter in just about anything.”
There are times when we don’t know what to do. We have tried everything, which is the overall problem….US! We are trying to do everything in our power, when God wants us to call on Him. There have been so many times that I’ve reacted in the flesh, displayed frustration and irritation, but all I had to do was cast my cares on Him.
David gives us an example of calling on the Lord by pleading his cause, his wants and desires and his requests for help. He calls on the Lord to listen to him. David recognizes his poor and needy state, that he has and is nothing, apart from Christ. He asks for God’s mercy and favor for his requests. David also recognizes the goodness of the Lord and His abounding love for His children. Then he tells God his problem, his issue concerning those that have turned against him, asking God to put them to shame. David was raw and genuine, in my opinion, and knew God well to request these things from Him. David didn’t hold back his feelings, his shortcomings, and his desires to be close to God.
While Jared and I were waiting on the tow truck that morning, we started praying for the situation and also for the week we just went through. This season in our lives was full of twists and turns to say the least. Jared’s job was going through multiple transitions, I was having some disappointments in ministry and we were both feeling like we were missing something. As we were praying, I started crying and saying to God, “I don’t have anything to give anymore. I don’t know what to do, I call on You.” I remember Jared praying in agreement. It was something I will never forget because finally my heart was agreeing with my lips that what I truly needed was God Alone. When you're at the end of yourself, that's when you see God's power.
Psalm 18:6 (ESV) says, “In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears.” Praise the Lord, He hears our cries and answers us. David saw first-hand God’s deliverance when his enemies were consumed. God is faithful and able to deliver us and overcome all our stressful situations, disappointments and uncertainties. Call on Him and see His power revealed in your life.
As always, I’m learning right there with ya,
Thankful For His Grace,
Amy
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