God Cold Calling

True confession: When I was a teenager, I had a job cold calling for the world-famous adjustable beds. I have a good phone voice, could read the script with enthusiasm, and was quick on my feet. I did well and was quickly promoted to shift telemarketing manager. For those who don’t know, cold calling is when you call someone “cold” or uninvited, someone who doesn’t want or doesn’t know they want what you’re selling and then proceed to try to sell them whatever it is. Really effective telemarketers keep calling until they get an affirmative answer.

These last few days have been bitter cold in America with records being set all over. New forecasts are now calling for an "atmospheric river" to slam the Western U.S. with rain and snow. Who ever even heard of an atmospheric river? Several thousand flights were cancelled, many plans disrupted, with postal delays, stranded motorists, rolling blackouts, and at this writing, more than fifty people dead. With the extreme state of affairs in all quarters worldwide, could it possibly be God cold calling resistant and rebellious humanity with extreme diligence?

Now, am I saying God is breathing out frigid air (pardon the bad pun) as described in Job 37:10 to intentionally harm us? No, I’m not. I’m saying God loves us too much to let us stomp around, wrecking ourselves, each other, and our planet with impunity--whether we know or want Him or not. He will allow us to experience consequences or to be in circumstances beyond our power, to motivate us to course correct and return to His sheltering embrace. Ever loving, God is always wanting to draw us close to Himself. He has been called the Hound of Heaven, always in ardent pursuit of us.

If weather extremes, holiday highs and lows, or whatever is ailing you, consider rushing headlong to Jesus’ warm and welcoming refuge. I love the poetic foreshadowing in this passage’s end, with God sending his Word to melt our icy hearts and restore the flowing waters. Let’s welcome this warming, restorative fire and wind into the dark cold of an icy winter.

"He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast?

He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow."

PRAYER: Dear God, please melt our resistant hearts with the Word of Your love, help us welcome the stirring breeze of Your Spirit, to restore us to Yourself. Please help us not be a hard sell. Thank you for your relentless love. Amen.