Hello Salt & Light Substackers,
Today, we’ll discover another attribute of God in how accessible God is for us. Is He truly available for conversation? Just as we reach out to friends or family, God desires a relationship with us - one that is open and inviting.
Determined Cats
I have two sibling tabby cats named KitKat and Reese’s. Over the past two years, I’ve really warmed up to them, despite never having owned a cat before. My youngest child persuaded us to adopt them, and I primarily handle their feeding.
These cats have several ways of letting me know when they’re hungry, but Reese’s is especially creative and persistent. Her routine typically begins between 3:30 and 6:00 a.m. If gentle meows don’t work, she lightly rubs my back with her paws. If that fails, she jumps on the bed and lets out a loud meow right next to my ear. That one always gets me up to feed them.
Photo of Reese’s below:
God’s Accessibility
You might wonder, what do effective cat tactics have to do with God’s accessibility? In our fast-paced culture, we can send a text message across the globe in seconds. Access to friends and family is familiar to most of us. We learn effective ways to gain access to others, and similarly, God is creative and persistent is reaching out directly to us. But what does it mean that God is accessible though? Is He truly available? When we call or pray to Him, does He listen or respond? In what ways does God gain access to you?
Access by Faith
The Bible teaches that access to God is by Faith:
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand….” - Romans 5:1-2
Access through Prayer
When we pray, God listens - but do we truly believe that? If something is blocking our access to God, we can can ask Him why and He will reveal it to us. For example, our treatment of others can affect our relationship with God (Matthew 5:23-24; 1st Peter 3:7).
Part of living by faith, is developing an expectancy with God. When we pray and call out to God, He is attentive to our prayer in our time of need.
“‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” - Jeremiah 33:3.
I have several friends I am in constant communication with whether it’s by phone, text, or praying for them. God invites us to be in constant communication with him, pray about everything (even details that may not matter, they matter to him). “pray continually” - 1st Thessalonians 5:17.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” - Philippians 4:6
“We have access to God at all hours…When trouble is near, God is near. He is never far to seek….All that ever trusted in God have found him faithful” - Matthew Henry, Whole Bible Commentary, Psalm 119.
God’s desire for a Relationship
From the very beginning, God has demonstrated His desire for a closeness with mankind who is made in His image. There is no closeness in a relationships unless you first have access. In Genesis, we see Adam and Eve walking with God in the garden, enjoying fellowship. Throughout the Old Testament, the covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob reveal His unwavering promise to be present and accessible.
Let’s look at 1st Samuel 3:1-21 to explore this attribute of Accessible further.
Levi Moore from The Ploughman Post Substack, is sharing a reading of this passage this week.
We encounter the young boy Samuel, whose life is marked by a a calling from God. As the narrative unfolds, we see that God’s voice is persistent, calling out to Samuel repeatedly during the night. Samuel’s initial confusion, thinking that Eli is calling him, highlights a truth: God often calls us not just once, but multiple times, urging us to pay attention.
Listening for His Voice
Eli, the priest, eventually recognizes that God is calling Samuel. Ignoring God’s voice can lead us off the path set for us. Samuel’s response, “Here I am” is repeated five times in this passage (v4, v5, v6, v8, v16) reflects a heart eager to listen, engaged, and open to His message even while uncertain. The young Samuel model’s faith for us in the passage. The name Samuel means “to hear”. Samuel’s mother, Hannah - a story about her for another time, must of been so proud of her son’s response. Hannah was a prayer warrior who said “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.” - 1st Samuel 1:27. Parents, grandparents, friends, let us continue to keep our children in prayer, may it be our often request, it’s never too late for anyone, keep them in prayer so that they would be like Samuel - open to the Lord’s voice and His message.
The context of this passage reveals that during this time, the word of the Lord was rare. Yet, God chose to break through this silence, demonstrating His desire to communicate. Like Samuel, our response should be open and willing: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1st Samuel 3:10) Are you listening for His voice? Do you hear His knocking?
Application in Our Lives
To truly listen and respond to God’s call, we need to cultivate a relationship with Him. Here are some practical steps to help us in this journey:
Pray for Awareness: Ask God to help you recognize His voice amidst the noise of life’s distractions.
Create Space for Silence: Dedicate time each day to sit quietly in His presence, allowing for reflection, listening, and for Him to speak.
Be Open to Correction: Approach God with a heart willing to be guided, even when it challenges your current understanding or actions.
Respond with Faith: When you hear His voice, respond promptly, even if the message is difficult.
Persistent prayer often does not come natural, but ask God and others for His help. Jesus illustrated the need for persistence in prayer through the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1).
God is calling out to each of us, inviting us to listen to His truth and correction. Let us respond with a heartfelt “Here I am” and “Speak, for I am listening”. In doing so, we open ourselves to His guidance, leading us to a more profound understanding of His will and purpose for our lives. If you have a prayer request for you or someone close to you, message me directly.
If you’ve been blessed by The Salt & Light Daily Substack devotionals and would like to show support for this ongoing work, I invite you to consider making a one-time contribution. Your generosity can help continue the creation of these uplifting messages. You can easily contribute through Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you for your support.
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your persistent call in our lives. Help us to recognize Your voice amidst the distractions and noise around us. Teach us to listen with open hearts and respond with courage, saying, “Here I am., speak for I am listening” May we be receptive to Your guidance and correction, trusting in Your perfect plan for us. Strengthen our relationship with You, and let us walk confidently in Your truth. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
