In class the other day, someone raised the point that the concept of a "personal Lord and Saviour" was relatively new, historically speaking. He alluded to the belief of certain groups, both past and present, that God is not present in the world around us, that He's not involved in our day-to-day lives, and that He has no interest in the problems we face as a result of living daily in a fallen world.
FALSE!
We know this is not in keeping with the Scriptures. The Bible is 2000 years old, and the God we see depicted within it is very personally involved in our lives day to day. Many examples we see in the Word reveal God's desire to bear our burdens and be an active part of our lives. Below are some examples, and you can find more here.
"God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." ~Psalm 46:1
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7
"Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." ~Matthew 11:28
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." ~Matthew 7:7
"For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, Saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." ~Isaiah 41:13
"What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." ~Mark 11:24
"So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what men shall do unto me." ~Hebrews 13:6
"My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." ~Exodus 33:14
The Psalms, especially, are FILLED with times that David called to God for help and was answered with mercy and righteousness. He relied on God in every trial of his life and was never disappointed by his "refuge and strength", so why should we doubt that our unchanging God is still present and active in our lives today?
Last night, I came across this verse: "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." (Psalm 50:15). It stood out to me not because it poses a new concept, but because of what it represents: an invitation and a promise.
God isn't just present in our lives, He INVITES us to call upon His name. And with that invitation is a PROMISE to deliver us from the troubles that compass us about in any hour of need.
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