Whisper His Name

How many times have you put your child to bed only to hear in an ever so quiet voice, just as soon as you sit down, "Mom."  You know your child needs one more hug or one more reassurance that there are no monsters under the bed, so you pull your tired body off the couch and go into your child's room and deliver what they need at that moment.  In our house, when the kids were young, this might happen several times on any given night and each time, I heard, "Mom" I would get up and go into the room to reassure, deliver a drink of water or just stand in the doorway and allow them to see that Mom is still home.  My children knew, I was just a "Mom" away.  They could whisper my name and I would come.  That's what mom's do!

That is how the Lord is - He is just a whisper away.  He hears when we call out to Him for help or reassurance or to fill our cup with His love.  "The  Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles." Psalm 34: 17 Why does He do this?  Because as a parent - Our Father - He promises to be there for us.  He gives us little (and sometimes big) glimpses of Himself so that we know He is still there, just as He promised.  (Heb.13:5)  That's what a parent does!

The reality of it is that God actually calls us to call upon Him.  Psalm 27:8 says "My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."  God is saying here, call out to me, whisper my name and I will come running to your aid.  This makes me think of the song of long ago written by Carole King and  sung by James Taylor, "You've Got a Friend".  The lyrics go something like this...

When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there, to brighten up even your darkest night
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am, I'll come running to see you again
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, You've got a friend.

God is that friend - He is there at the whisper of His name.  Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall all we have to do is call.

A very long time ago, we lived in Chicago.  One extremely harsh winter day I experienced this very thing. Driving to work in the car, we hit an ice patch and our car started sliding sideways. All I could see was the oncoming traffic heading straight toward us.  At that moment I merely whispered - "Jesus, help us."  The next thing I knew, our car was up on top of a concrete island in the middle of the roadway.  When the tow truck arrived, the driver asked how we got up on top of the island without so much as a bent wheel or axle.  All I could say was, "Jesus did it!"  I know without a doubt that Jesus heard my whispered cry for help and He helped.  He was just a "Jesus" away.  

While this is an extreme example of God showing up to save the day, we can count on Him for all things.  He is just a whisper away when we need patience.  He is just a whisper away when we are tempted to gossip.  We can whisper His name when we need to refocus our day or when we would much rather speak a sarcastic remark than be still.  We have a tendency to forget that God is available to us 24/7 for all things.  

"Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him."  Psalm 105: 4

The beauty in this is that He wants to be available to us 24/7.  "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives."  Psalm 37: 23  He wants to be of help.  He wants to be the friend we call on.  He wants to give us that drink of water or whatever it is we need at the moment.  "Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior! For each day He carries us in His arms." Psalm 68:19  He wants us to whisper His name so He can pick us up and carry us through the storm, through the muck, through the daily stuff that so often we struggle with.

Whisper His name and He'll come.  That's what He does!

"How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings.  You feed them from the abundance of Your own house, letting them drink from Your river of delights.  For You are the fountain of life, the light by which we see."  Psalm 36: 7 -9


And if you don't know my friend, Jesus, just whisper His name.  
Whisper His name and He'll come into your life to be your friend 24/7.

Whisper His Name and see!