God’s Got Your Number

Old Treasures on Tuesdays 👑

“He has done this so that they would look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. In fact, he is never far from any one of us” (Acts 17:27, GW).

I get so excited when Holy Spirit whispers something fresh to my spirit. I often exclaim to my children about it, if the topic is something relatable to them. They sometimes joke about me being “over the top,” finding messages from God in ridiculous amounts of everyday contexts. But I’m not exaggerating. He really does communicate eagerly and generously to us hungry listeners.

Think about this. Have you ever noticed how us humans automatically look for meaning in things? For example, we regularly see shapes in clouds and faces in inanimate objects. There’s even a scientific name for this propensity: Pareidolia. This tendency reflects our primal predisposition to search for significance in our existence. You know what? God made us that way. He built us in such a fashion that we would see Him and discover Him in the world around us. He created us with both physical and spiritual ears so we could hear Him; both physical and spiritual eyes so we could see Him.

In nature, He has also liberally scattered clues that shout loudly to us about who He is: “Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being” (Rom. 1:19-20, MSG).

In spite of God’s lavish communication, though, we worry that we will miss His messages. We fear that we won’t get what He’s saying to us. Let this illustration set your heart at ease about this matter. My dad is on staff at a large church. In charge of pastoral counseling, he gives his number out to anyone who wants it. However, there are always some new attendees who haven’t yet met him, and thus don’t have his contact information. Once they hear that he is the one to call for pastoral care, they look him up. If they can’t find his number, they touch base with him on Facebook Messenger. One way or another, they always manage to contact him.

If random strangers can find a way to get a hold of my dad, don’t you figure that the King of the Universe can figure out a way to get a hold of you? Rest easy, child of God. Jesus loves you more than His own life. And He has set things up “so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near” (Acts 17:27, MSG). You know what? You don’t even have to let Him know what the best way to get a hold of you is. He already knows. I promise you, dear one. God has your number.

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What are some specific ways that God has taken the initiative to communicate with you personally?