As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “LORD, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. (Romans 10:11-17 NLT)
When do you call out for help? I have had several occasions this past year when I had to call out for help. Cry out might be a better way to describe it. In both cases I’m thinking about how I fell and hurt myself seriously enough that I couldn’t get up by myself. I was in pain and very grateful that someone was close by to respond to my cry and help me get up. The person who rescued me in both cases was my wife. I knew I could trust her to help me up and to help me heal.
The falls hurt, but our situation in relation to God is much more serious than a break or a bruise. Our eternal destiny is at stake. We have fallen and we need help to get back up. Many people don’t recognize that they have fallen, so they see no need to call out for help to anyone. In the case of the Jews that Paul is talking about, they had fallen, and they knew it. Over hundreds of years they had developed an elaborate system that made them think they could get up on their own. When I fell, I knew exactly what getting up would look like. Unfortunately, it is much more difficult for us to recognize where we stand in relation to God. It is difficult, but not impossible to know where we stand with God if we are willing to trust what God has to say about our situation.
When we know God and trust Him, we are willing to cry out to God for help. I think crying out to God for help is the beginning of worship. Crying out for help to God acknowledges that I have a need and recognizes that God is the only source of help who can meet that need. What greater praise can I give God than an eagerness to look to Him for help?
God’s generous response to our cries for help produces an overwhelming desire to share what we have received. When someone is rescued from a really threatening situation there is an incredible desire to know the name of the rescuer so that person can be recognized. God has rescued us from something far more threatening than any physical situation we can imagine. If we really recognize this, we should have an overwhelming desire to share His name with everyone.
Unfortunately, not everyone will be as excited about our good news as we are. They may either not recognize how serious their situation is or just feel confident that they can deal with whatever happens to them on their own. In many cases people fall into both those categories. This is as frustrating to us as Paul was frustrated with the response of his own people. He is a wonderful example for us as he never gave up sharing his good news.
For my grandchildren:
Never be too proud to ask God for help.
Check out mygrandmatime for more Family Bible Activities on the book of Romans.
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