Lord & Savior
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, but the nations will only know if you make it a priority to share about your Savior.
“When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, Jehu the seer...said to the king, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is on you. There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.” Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the LORD...“You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD...you are to warn them not to sin against the LORD; otherwise his wrath will come on you and your people. Do this, and you will not sin...Act with courage, and may the LORD be with those who do well.”” 2 Chronicles 19:1-11
Unlike Ahab who perished when he did not listen to God, Jehoshaphat was saved from the battle and returned home to Judah. When he got home, a prophet told him he should not have been there in the first place. Sounds a lot like a parent and their rebellious teenager. Solomon said in Proverbs that God disciplines the ones He loves and to that end, Jehoshaphat was rebuked. How do you respond to correction or rebuke? The wise learn from their mistakes. Jehosophat did not sulk or complain about what was said. He responded by sharing about the God who saves.
Jehosophat's lasting legacy is a person who sought God and taught people to follow Him. He told people to serve wholeheartedly and as they did to make sure to warn other people about what can happen if they keep on sinning. The connections today all point to the God who saves us and sends us to help save others. Love is never just for ourselves, but meant to be the power within us the directs our steps to help lead others to the beauty of dwelling with God.
What lesson could you learn from the chapter above? Have you been hanging out with people who are leading you in the wrong direction like Jehosophat did with Ahab? Are you open to God correcting and rebuking you for anything that is not helping you draw closer to Him? Are you willing to share the good news of Jesus Christ that others will find healing?
“Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead. But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Psalms 86:1-15
What would happen if this was our prayer to start each day? What would happen if every day we woke up with our hands spread wide and our heads bowed before Jesus inviting Him to lead us as our Lord and Savior? David knew he needed help so he called on the name of the Lord. And the Lord answered. He always answers because all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. They will find healing from past pain, power in the present moment, and hope for what is to come. Salvation is all encompassing and works behind us, in us, and is evident in the God who goes before us.
David declared all nations will come and worship you Lord. All will glorify your name. Do you know God's plan A for helping the nations know the Lord? It is you. You are plan A and there is no plan B. God uses people who are wholeheartedly devoted like Jehosophat called people to be to share the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Are you willing to be one who shares with all nations? Does your heart break for what breaks the heart of God? God's mission is to save the lost and empower his people to live for Him.
David never let go of how much he appreciates God's grace. He said you have saved me from the depths, the realm of the dead. Think of your salvation moment. When you realized just how amazing grace is. How did you feel? Did you not come alive? Maybe it was your baptism moment or the moment where you were most broken but instead found Jesus meet you with abounding love when you did not deserve it. Have you let go of the glory of that moment or does it fuel your deserve to help others find the same salvation?
“Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. Evildoers are snared by their own sin, but the righteous shout for joy and are glad. The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern...the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace. Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins. Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” Proverbs 29:1-25
Think about this proverbs in light of Romans 10 that all who call on the Lord will be saved. Think of how the one requirement to enter into relationship with Jesus is to by faith declare Him Lord and believe He is the savior. What prevents people from turning to Jesus and finding everything they need to satisfy the deepest needs of their souls? Stiff necks and hearts of stone.
Imagine what would have happened if Jehosophat had been stiff necked at the Lord's rebuke. Imagine how many lives and generations would not have found the blessing of living as a child of God? The ripple effect of one act of obedience through humility is exponential.
Solomon said fools rage against God, but the wise bring peace in the end. The end is really the beginning of understanding how to follow Jesus. There are so many people who do not know how their story will end. They do not know the name of Jesus or how He loves extravagantly, perfectly, beautifully. How can they if no one tells them? The people of God bring peace in the end by bringing the message of Jesus everywhere they go and in all they do.
“The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people. “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.’ Say to them, ‘I am a sign to you." Ezekiel 12:1-25
Jesus often called himself the Son of Man. It was a term He used frequently. He wanted the people He met to recall the words of the prophets. You see, Jesus came at exactly the right time to fulfill the will of God to redeem the world. He stepped into the story after over 300 prophecies were written about the Messiah. He fulfilled them all. He is the sign to the people so that all will be saved. The statistical odds of this happening are nearly impossible, but with God all things are possible because His will, will be done.
You will not be sent into a world of sunshine, puppies, and lollipops. You will encounter people who have ears to hear and eyes that do not see. It is not your responsibility to dictate what happens. You do not control outcomes, but you are called to obey the command of the Lord to share the gospel. One of the wonderous ways God works is by using your experiences, your toughest times, to help send you to exactly the right person to share the hope that you have found. Your story matters. Your testimony matters. Your obedience matters. The question is if you will do what Jesus is asking of you. Will you allow Him to send you that you will share the good news with a world in desperate need of the love of Jesus?
“For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”” Romans 10:2-4, 8-9, 13-15
It does not matter if you are a paid professional like a pastor or a person who just got saved. We all are called to share the good news. This is our call. How will you answer the call? How would you respond to Paul or Jehosophat? Will you serve God faithfully and with all your heart? Will you sing like David because you have not forgotten how sweet salvation is? Will you live wisely like Solomon, refusing to let pride, fear, or a stiff neck keep you from fulfilling your vow as a servant of the most High? Will you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that He is your Savior then do what He says? If so then live like someone who has been saved from death and raised to new life. Let gratitude give you all you need to go and share the good news.
There are people all around you with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. You cannot make them believe, and you cannot control how they respond. Your job may be to plant, water, or harvest. Only God knows. The call is to respond and refuse to let anyone perish.
Paul asked how they can believe if they have never heard. God has placed you where you are, given you the story you have, and surrounded you with people who need to know how you made it through to where you are now. Your testimony does not need to be anything more than telling your story of who you were and who you are today and what Jesus did in the middle.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Never lose the wonder of that truth. Remember what Jesus saved you from, worship Him for what He is doing in you, and trust Him with where He is sending you. Serve Him. Sing to Him. Sing of His abounding love and amazing grace. Walk wisely with Him and avoid the ways of evil doers. Declare Him Lord and Savior. Then go and tell somebody about Him.