My son's dream was finally coming true. He was going to play football as a freshman in high school. Now, they have a lot of scrimmages to get ready for the season, and the coach, of course, he uses those scrimmages to try different players at different positions. And every guy was sitting on the bench all dressed, all bruised from the practices, hoping he'd have his chance to get into the scrimmage.
Now that's what was so curious about Scott's response - one of the players. When the coach called his name, he didn't come. The coach called his name again. Scott didn't come. When I heard the story, I thought, "Well, was he preoccupied? Was he in disbelief? What was he thinking, "I can't believe he's calling my name?" Finally the coach issued one last, exasperated call, "Scott, what do you want me to do...send you a telegram?" Well, finally Scott went into the scrimmage, but he almost missed the coach's call. I hope you don't.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "That Voice In Your Heart."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Genesis 6, and I'm going to read to you from the early days of the human race - what God said then and what He still feels now. I'm reading from verse 3, "My spirit will not always strive with man." That's kind of a chilling statement don't you think? God says, "I won't always call your name. I won't always knock on your door." In essence God is saying to you and me, "I've been wooing you, I've been calling you. I've been sending people to get your attention. I'm working in your life, but there is a limit."
Isaiah 55 says, "Call upon the Lord while He is near; seek the Lord while He may be found." The implication is that He won't always be there; He won't always be found. Could it be that God's been calling your name lately, just as surely as the coach was calling Scott's name at that scrimmage? He's sent people to you to draw you to Christ; to show you what Jesus did for you when He gave His life for you in exchange for yours on the cross. But you've been so busy; you've been too disinterested, and maybe afraid.
But you know what? There's a poem called The Hound of Heaven about God's pursuit of us. He pursues us wherever we are, because He loves us too much to leave us lost." And do you know what? Somehow through this radio program today, guess what? He's calling you again. But He won't always. He said, "My spirit will not always strive with man." You say, "Well, I'll come to Christ when I'm ready." No, you see, you have to come when He's ready.
Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father draws him." And if you feel that tug in your heart today - that drawing - that's the Father making it possible for you to come to Christ. You can't even come to Christ without His help. That's why it's important to move when God is moving in your life. It's like a ringing telephone. Maybe you've heard the phone ring a number of times, and finally you say, "Oh, nuts! I'll answer it!" And you run over to the phone, and by the time you get around to answering, there's no one there - they've hung up.
God's ringing your number today. You really want to be sure you go and answer His call. Like the Bible says, "while He is near." How do you do that? Well, you need to find a place where you can quietly be just you and Jesus and say, "Jesus, I'm Yours. I'm sorry for all the wrong things I've done. I believe that when You bled and died on that cross You were choosing to give up Your life in exchange for mine; paying my eternal death penalty. You did my hell so I could go to Your heaven. And I want to love you back. I'm putting all my trust in You. I'm grabbing You like a drowning person would grab a rescuer as my only hope."
Our website is so much about helping you step across that line, and I really invite you to check it out today. I've done my best to put the information there that you'll need from the Bible - from God's own words as to how you can be sure you belong to Jesus Christ. That website is ANewStory.com.
If you're feeling the tug of God on your heart today, please say yes to the person who died for you while He's still calling your name.