Why Didn't You Answer?

Daily Reading: Isaiah 50

Scripture Focus: Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer?  Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?  Or have I no power to deliver? (Isaiah 50.2)

Devotional Thought: Last week, I texted my two oldest daughters, singing a clever little ditty that I made up about coffee.  We love to drink coffee together, and I was excited to hear back from them to enjoy a good laugh.  I was so disappointed when they didn't respond.  I wanted to text them, "Why didn't you answer my text?"

Have you ever called someone, excited to talk to them, only to be told to leave a message?  The more excited you are, the more disappointed you are in not getting an answer! 

God felt that way.  In his own words, he asks his people, "Why didn't you answer?"

God has come.  Throughout history, God has made it a practice of showing up when and where he was needed: to Cain facing temptation, to Abraham despairing of ever having a son, to Moses on "the back side of the desert", to Elijah under the broom tree, to the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace.  Of course, the ultimate coming of God was two thousand years ago when Jesus - God in flesh - was born in a stable in Bethlehem.

Why is there no man?  When God came in the person of Jesus Christ, where was the official welcoming committee?  Those who should have known missed it entirely.  I think he is still showing up, and people are still missing him.

God has called.  When Samuel was a boy in the temple, God called his name.  He said, "Speak, Lord, for your servant listens.”

Why is there no answer?  When our kids were teenagers, we would sometimes call them to see where they were.  If they didn't answer our call, they would hear us ask later, "Why didn't you answer?"  God is still asking that question today.

Prayer:  Lord, you have shown unbelievable patience toward us, your stubborn and distracted children.  Forgive us, O Lord, and help us to respond when you come and to listen when you call.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 78.50-55

50 He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague.

51 He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.

52 Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won.

55 He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.