Dear Friends,
It’s never too late
but earlier is better!
Luke 23: 42-43
I don’t know if you can still do it, but there was a time when, if you didn’t have any money, you could make a reverse charge call to friends and family. They would be asked if they wanted to receive the call so had the option to say, “NO!” That would be like having the door slammed in your face when going to ask a neighbour for some help — and, possibly, the end of a relationship.
As God doesn’t use money — it is the root of evil — our Father has made a lot of calls from heaven and asked to reverse the charge — and got a lot of rejections. With our modern day phones we can see the number of who is calling and ignore it. “Who was that calling, dear?” a wife might ask. “Oh, it’s God, darling. Probably wants me to do something, but I’ve promised the congregation to take a day off and look after myself so it can wait!”
Whether in a time gone by or more recently I wonder how many of us have ignored “God’s call!” Of course, it could have been a message by email or a text which have remained in the ‘inbox’ for attention when there is time. How many messages are stacked-up in your inbox from God@heaven.com? (It turned blue! Can’t be a real email account, can it?) “Sorry, God, I didn’t check my junk box!” You wouldn’t lie to God, would you? Maybe you would like to check back on how many messages you have missed because Jesus SAVES with his WORD document filed with love in his heart and it can’t be deleted.
I was asked by someone on Friday whether it is too late to answer God’s call. I said, ’no, it’s never too late, but God will now have something different for you to do!” That call from God five years ago was for a specific purpose, as was the call twenty, thirty or forty years ago. Yes, some of us had a call from God almost a lifetime ago, but as long as we’ve still got breath in our flesh and bones we can answer and say: “Here I am, Lord, what do you want me to do?”
A criminal on the cross left it late, but with almost his last breath of life he asked Jesus to remember him in his kingdom and was told: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise!” (Luke 23: 42-43) We have to do something on earth to show that we recognise who Jesus is!
We can think we are forgotten by friends and family when they don’t call us and when they do it often seems to happen when they want something. Well, how often do we give God a call and ask, “how are you today, Lord?” How often do we call when we don’t need something for ourselves or for someone? God is getting a lot of calls now asking for help, but how many calls have we rejected in the past because they were reverse charge or were ignored until a more convenient time? God was calling us and is still waiting for our reply….
Oh, it was so long ago I’m too embarrassed to call now…..! What a pity the criminal on the cross didn’t respond to God’s call and meet Jesus earlier. Late wasn’t too late, but earlier would have been better, so don’t delay any longer because God IS calling you. As God often speaks to us through other people it could be time to catch up with friends and family — just to ask how they are!
In the darkness
may we be the light.
In the wilderness
may we be an oasis.
For the homeless
may we be a shelter.
Where there is sickness
may we be healers.
In the silence
may we be your voice.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
God Bless, Richard