Online Bible Verses - Psalm 86: Calling Out to God

“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” Psalm 86:5NIV

Seems like an open offer to everyone. What constitutes calling out to God? I would think, if we were to include every possibility, calling out to God would entail appealing to Him in hopes that He was there. It would logically follow that specifics regarding His name, person and identity would be dependent on the extent of revelation provided to the person doing the calling. I guess we could call him/her the caller.

So let’s consider a few callers. Me first. Turns out I have been provided with a very detailed case for who God is. I can read text from different faiths and belief systems. I can ponder, and even test in some cases, their validity. I have sufficient data from which to make a decision concerning the personhood, claims by and about, and nature of Christ. I can decide whether those claims are true, whether or not to recognize and call out to Him as Lord.

Adam and Eve, apparently, were able to talk to God. Hear Him if not see Him in a form they could tolerate. So they were afforded a level of revelation somewhat in excess of mine. “Somewhat” used here in that I may know of things they did not. I know about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus. I was not there, so I can’t know if God explained to them what would happen, going forward, in that level of detail. Or who His Son was.

Now consider the guy out there who has had no contact with anything other than his immediate surroundings. Maybe a guy who stood right where I am sitting 500 years ago. Being that I am in North Carolina, I guess he would have been a Native American. And he took a look at the beauty of what surrounded him, and called out to God in praise (see Romans 1:20). Given what had been revealed to him, maybe that was enough.

If what we have to do is call out and ask, then we really have nothing to do at all. Today might be a good day to drop any predisposition and formality, and just ask God to inhabit our hearts. Call out with an open heart. See if it works.