Open Communication

Read: Isaiah 58

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. Isaiah 58:9, NIV

IN WORD

Every relationship has moments when communication is difficult and other moments when it flows easily. Our relationship with God is no exception. At times, He seems distant. But the Kingdom ideal is for us to experience deep communion, hearing His voice and knowing He hears ours. The Kingdom culture is one of open communication. We were designed to hear and be heard and to draw close to the heart of the King.

Why isn’t that always the case? Partly because the Kingdom is still in the process of coming. In that process, we hear the voices of other kingdoms, we get distracted by the busyness of our lives and by other relationships, and if we’re completely honest, we sometimes walk out of step with the true Kingdom. The open communication we desire depends on our focus, our attention span, and our willingness to align with Kingdom values and purposes. According to Isaiah, God’s responses to our calls often hinge on our return to a Kingdom lifestyle.

That should highly motivate us to eat, drink, and breathe the environment that flows from God’s being. He is surrounded by praise, His throne sits on righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14), and He embodies love, compassion, and mercy. Those are our cues; we can’t go wrong by embracing the nature and the desires of God.

IN DEED

Learn to read Scripture, particularly passages like today’s verse, in which God expresses His desires for us, not as a collection of dos and don’ts but as a template of Kingdom culture. God is not interested in developing a race of robotic servants. He wants a realm full of people who have adapted to the lifestyle, who have cultivated the mannerisms, the expressions, the values, and the attitudes of the King Himself. His instructions are not directed at our behavior; they are directed at our hearts. When we embrace them as expressions of His heart, His answers flow more freely.

ADDITIONAL READING: Psalm 89:14-18

Heaven is not a space overhead to which we lift our eyes; it is the background of our existence, the all-encompassing lordship of God within which we stand.

HELMUT THIELICKE