“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.” (Isaiah 58:9 NIV)
Do you remember receiving the daily newspaper years ago, something that took place in the era when young boys got their first job and earned a few dollars delivering papers? A paperboy’s earnings varied from week to week, depending on the timeliness and or willingness of the customers to pay on time. Sometimes paperboys went to collect with their collection book, filled with pages for each customer, each page having little square tear off tabs to serve as receipts. The collection book, the most cherished ones, were bound in a steel-like covers, one in the front and one in the back that were connected by two large silver rings.
I was one of those paperboys and had a route that covered 8 city blocks. On collection day, usually Saturday morning, there were times when you knocked relentlessly, repeatedly, raising the force of your knock on the door every time your clenched fist knocked, but there was resistance occasionally on the part of the newspaper subscriber. Yes, there were times when no one answered the door. Listen! On those occasions, it was not always because no one was home that there was no answer. How could I tell? Here’s how! You could hear the talking, and the footsteps of those who lived in the house. You could stand on your toes; stretch your neck and look through the small glass window at the top of the entry door and see people moving away and pretending they were not home. On other occasions, you saw shadowy figures of residents, silhouettes on the curtains or venetian blinds as the people inside were running anywhere in the house, except to run and answer the door. This purposeful ignoring of the knocking on the door delayed my earnings and as for me, I was ready to quit. As a side note, I couldn’t resign because “King,” the District Manager, he was my father.
I am so thankful that our Father in heaven will hear our cry, and say, “Here I am!” I’m so glad that we can knock on the door and Jesus will open it for us! Aren’t you glad? Unlike the newspaper customer who I knew was at home, but would not answer, we know that we can call on the Lord and He will not hide from us. We can call on the Lord and get an answer! Praise God! Have you made the call today? What I mean is, have you boldly approached the throne of grace today? Have you not just talked, but paused and listened for the Lord to answer you? The Lord does answer prayer. If you have not called Him yet, get on “the mainline” right now, right where you are! Have a great day! Be blessed!
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-18 NLT)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King