If that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. (Jer. 18:8)
Expanded Passage: Jeremiah 18:7-8
Some of us will silence our phones while we’re sleeping. But some of us won’t. The reason some of us will keep the ringer activated is for those 3 a.m. emergencies—we want to be available for our most precious friends and family during a time of need, regardless of the hour.
Smartphone makers have now cleverly developed a way to avoid unwanted late-night calls but still be alerted if our loved ones need us in the middle of the night. Some devices will now allow you to select a few numbers whose calls will ring even if you have your phone set to “do not disturb.” Knowing that you can reach a loved one twenty-four hours a day is reassuring. For example, if you’re driving overnight, it’s reassuring to know that your car-wiz dad will answer your call at midnight if your check engine light comes on and you need to know what to do.
God told Jeremiah that his communication has no “off” switch. If a wicked nation calls out to God, even a millisecond before God plans to destroy them, he hears and shows mercy. God does not have posted hours of operation. We can speak with him anytime we’d like. Our line to him is never silenced or paused. We never have to worry about a message getting to God in time.
It’s never too late to ask for God’s help.
Stephen Simpson is a graduate of Wesley Seminary. He has served at Wesleyan churches—in one form or another—since childhood.
© 2023 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
