Are You Listening?

Remember those early years in your life when playing outside until dusk was a common occurrence?  Staying out and playing from early morning until late in the day was simply not a problem?  My mother would simply open the front door and yell out my name, “Myron, it’s time to come home!”  (By the way, only the fool hearty would ignore that call…)  It’s funny, but I was never so far from home that I didn’t hear my mother calling.  Unfortunately, many today not only have wander far away from home, they aren’t even listening for the call to come back home.  Let me suggest, the longer we stay out, the darker it will become.

For many, the idea of needing help indicates weakness and a lack of control.  We understand and believe in pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps, but without doubt all of us need help every now and again.  So perhaps the question really is, are we willing to admit we need some help?

Notice what Paul says in Romans 1:5, 6, “…Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;”  When we obey the calling of Christ, we are joined into the family of God, we come into His fellowship.  Many say, they want to follow Christ and others take the steps to be His child and yet when we fall short of His glory (when we sin), He calls us back.  If we are listening to (reading) His word we hear His voice calling us home.  It’s like the old hymn…

“When my Savior calls I will answer,
When He calls for me, I will hear.
When my Savior calls I will answer,
I’ll be somewhere listen for my name.”

Give Him your life and stay close to His will.  We often leave the safety of His embrace because we want to ‘play outside’.  But when you hear the call to come in you’d better answer it.  Folks, it’s getting dark out, listen for your Savior’s voice and come home!

Homesick…But Are You ‘Weary’?

Have you ever been homesick?  This is best described as a time when you were away from the comfort and secure of what you know and love.  During the months when a child goes to summer camp, ask them what it means to be homesick.  In the lonely winter months before his Thanksgiving break, a college freshman might be feeling a bit homesick.  Even that dream vacation can be tiresome after too many days away.  Why?  Maybe it’s the fact we miss the comfort of our own bed.  Or maybe it’s the home cooked meal that we’re missing.  Perhaps we just miss sitting together as a family and talking (do families still sit together and talk?)  To be sure we all have experienced a time when we were ‘sick of being away from home’.  At one time or another each of us have been homesick.

But ask yourself, ‘Am I really homesick?’  Do you long to be home or have you been away so long that you’ve grown comfortable with where you are and don’t think much about your home?  I’m reminded of a young man who was tried of the family and decided to pack his bags and leave home.  He enjoyed his vacation and even when he lost his new found friends, he still refused to go home.  He was alone, lost all the comforts and security he once knew, but he wasn’t ready to ‘go home.’  His ‘vacation’ turned to misery and the comforts of home were just a memory…but notice this, he remembered where home was.  Luke 15:11-32 details this young man and his return home.  We often refer to this story as “The Prodigal Son”.  He finally got the point he wanted to go home.  And you know who was waiting and watching for his return…

This Biblical account reminds me of the old invitation song, “God is Call the Prodigal”.  It’s a song that calls the listener to come back to God.  One who has left what he knew and “…wandered so far from His presence,”.  We know what it means to the parent whose child has ‘forgotten’ his/her way home, but do we realize the application for ourselves?  Are we really weary of this world and longing to be ‘home’?  Look again at these verses from this old spiritual song…

“God is calling the prodigal; come without delay; Hear, O hear Him calling, calling now for thee.  Tho’ you’ve wandered so far from His presence, come today; Hear His loving voice calling still…”

“Patient, loving, and tenderly still the Father pleads; Hear, O hear Him calling, calling now for thee.  O return while the Spirit in mercy intercedes; Hear His loving voice calling still…”

“Come, there’s bread in the house of the Father, and to spare; Hear, O hear Him calling, calling now for thee.  Lo!  The table is spread and the feast is waiting there; Hear His loving voice calling still…Calling now for thee, O weary prodigal come.”

It’s true that each of us at some time or another have been homesick and wished we could go home.  But unfortunately many, unlike the prodigal son, are simply refusing to go home.  Sitting in the darkness of the world, refusing to admit that life isn’t what they want it to be, too many have decided that they’re not homesick enough to go home.  My prayer is that we will never become comfortable living in this foreign land.  You might be feeling homesick, but the prodigal son had determined that he was weary.  You might be homesick but you won’t go home…until you’ve grown weary of this world.

Hear Me When I Call…

This morning a friend of mine passed away.  He had lived a long life, but unfortunately had struggled much during these last few months and years.  Without a doubt this gentlemen was an inspiration to me, and not to me alone.  His faithful spirit and gentle demeanor served as an encouragement to all you had the privilege of knowing him.  When I heard of his passing this morning, I cried.  Not because I grieved for his soul, or was unsure of his relationship with God; the tears came because I wasn’t ready to say ‘good bye’.  There were still things I wanted to say to him and memories I wanted to share, but during the early hours on Sunday morning (March 25th), in the warm embrace of his family he slipped away to be with his Father.  Perhaps it’s fitting that he died on a Sunday morning…certainly in time to worship around the Father’s throne.

It’s never easy to say good bye to those you care about; whether it’s the end of a family vacation and everyone has headed home, or if it’s the passing of a loved one who held a special place in your heart.  I guess you’d say I’m a bit sentimental, so ‘Good Byes’ have never easy for me.  And because of my sentimental nature, there are some songs that mean more to me as we consider the message (the words).  A song tends to reach into my heart in a way that the spoken word can’t.  I don’t think it’s the melody alone, but the melody coupled with the words that impacts my emotions like nothing else.  My friend had a favorite songs that was written in the early 1960’s and (though I’ve only come to know it recently), it has since become one of my favorites as well.  Written by Tillit S. Teddlie in 1962, this old hymn is sung as we speak to God asking that He hear us during times of distress and sorrow.  Notice these four verses…

“Hear me when I call, O God, my righteousness;
Unto Thee I come in weakness and distress.
Hold my trembling hand, lest helpless I should fall;
O hear me, Lord, hear me, O hear me when I call.”

“Hear my cry, O God, attend unto my prayer;
More and more I need Thy mercy and Thy care.
Clouds of doubt arise and faith grows weak and small;
O hear me, Lord hear me, O hear me when I call.”

“Hear my voice, O God, and cleanse my soul within;
Mercy doth I need for all my doubts and sin.
Only in Thy grace I trust my all in all;
O hear me, Lord, hear me, O hear me when I call.”

“Hear my prayer, O God, I need Thy cleansing power;
Let me feel Thee near each moment of each hour.
Hold my trembling hand, lest helpless I should fall;
O hear me, Lord hear me, O hear me when I call.”

It’s important for me to take this time today and reflect on the impact and friendship I shared with a brother who has gone on.  His smile and kind heart will remain in my memory for years to come.  He has inspired me to be more like Christ; never looking out for his own interest, but always for the interest of others.  The book of this man’s life has come to a close and the final chapter has been written.  He will be missed here on earth, but I know we’ll meet again, because our God does indeed ‘hear us when we call.’  Fred Epps, thank you for the lessons in life that you taught me through your beautiful, Christian example.  And thank you for showing me the kindness of your heart.  You were a wonderful and dear friend!

“Lord hear me, O hear me, Please hear me when I call…”