Most people own a device that they don't want to do without. You probably have one, I have one! It is called a cell phone, a smart phone. It most likely is capable of performing many activities. With one small device, we can access the world and all the knowledge that we need. Probably we have all become photographers, even excellent ones. We keep track of ourselves and others with handy calendar memos. We can play music and watch movies anytime anywhere. We don't need radios because our phones can tune into radio broadcasts. There are many sources of news available with just a touch. We know what is happening--almost as soon as it happens. God knows sooner though!! He knows immediately what has happened without a news alert on a phone!
We can find out what the weather is going to do to us hour by hour. We can read our Bible and Study the Sabbath School lesson everyday with no excuses. We no longer need an address book because our phone keeps the information for us. We don't even seem to need to by a postage stamp any longer since we can receive our mail on our phones. The days of students wishing they could afford to buy a calculator are past and now everyone has a calculator--no excuses for not being able to multiply and divide! You don't need to keep nature identification books to discover the name of a flower or bird or even constellations because now you can find the identification so easy using your phone. You should never again say you are bored when there are so many books to read and games to play right there on your phone. In case you forgot what you did and when and where you went, your phone keeps track and lets you know where you went last week, month, year! What a seemingly "know it all" device!! Truly a handy thing to have in your hand--BUT--once in a while the device fails and then we have "nothing"! No information at our touch! Then, perhaps we remember to turn to the source of all knowledge! The Creator of everything we need. The Omniscient One! The One who knows everything about us and about the world and about our future. We can turn to Him for the answers to all our questions and needs. Hallelujah!
There is another advantage to this device we have in our hands. We can stay in touch with our families and business contacts and friends. I really appreciate that ability. Again, it is almost as good as being able to stay connected to God! Almost, but not quite! With God, we never have to fear having a dead battery. We never have to worry about being disconnected. We don't have to worry about disconnection only if we choose to disconnect with Him. We never have to worry about a dropped call or about being out of range. Having traveled in areas where there is no service, knowing that there is no place where God is not present is wonderful. He is Omnipresent! He is everywhere I am and you are. We cannot ever be away from His presence. He stays in touch whenever I call for Him. My phone lets me know when someone wants to talk with me but often the phone doesn't recognize who is calling. There are so many calls from unknown numbers that I choose to not answer them. I don't like being trapped in an unwanted conversation. Yes, I could hang up, but that seems so impolite! It is just easier to not answer! As I write this note, I have 18 calls--so far--in the last three days that I did not answer because my phone did not recognize them as one of my contacts. This generally seems like a good plan. But this week, that plan led me into trouble.
Hospitals and clinics and doctors offices always want to connect by phone! They never seem to use the same number twice and can never tell me which number I should expect a call from. I don't like to answer unidentified numbers. I avoid them! This week though I was impressed to answer a call with an unknown number after seeing the same number call me 3 times in rapid repeat. Sure enough, it was a call from a doctor's office and one that I needed to answer concerning an upcoming appointment. I dutifully listened to the instructions! But this call came at the same time that my husband was impatiently waiting for me to help him with something. I couldn't tell him to wait and he couldn't see and understand why I wasn't coming! He was letting me know that I was wanted and needed--now! I became a bit flustered and finally was able to end the call from the doctor's office. And I started to go heed the call for help. Somehow though my efforts to end the first call did not go well and suddenly my phone was calling 911 Emergency!!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE WAS NO EMERGENCY! I tried immediately to stop that call! In my frantic effort to do that, I could not get it to call end before it actually went through. Ugh! But I got the call ended after 1 maybe 2 rings! Whew! Maybe I got it stopped in time!!!! But then my phone rang immediately before I could get back to being the person needed to be the helper for my husband. Once again, I decided to answer the phone rather than help him. I answered because you do not want to ignore a phone call from the Sheriff! The person on the phone wanted to know if I was all right!! I assured him I was. And that I had not meant to call for an emergency. That it was not on purpose! That I did not understand why the call had happened. They needed to confirm my address and needed to know my name. And once again, my husband could not understand why I was talking on the phone when he was needing me to help him!
Wouldn't it be nice if we could tell for sure that God was calling to inform us on what we should do? We wouldn't have to wonder if we were following His will, or our own will, or Satan's will. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see God (video chat) and hear God's voice (audio chat)!! Wouldn't it be nice to have those answers to our calls to Him from Him as fast as the Sheriff's answer to my call? I have faith to know that He hears. I have faith to know that He always answers! I am glad to know that I don't have to worry about accidentally calling on Him--it will not be held against me. No ID needed! He even knows how many hairs are on my head. He cares about everything that concerns me. I am glad to know that He knows who I am. I am very glad that I can depend on Him to answer my emergency calls for help!
