Joel 2:32 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
    whom the Lord calls.

This verse is famously quoted by Peter in Acts 2:21 and Paul in Romans 10:13, but the idea of calling on the Lord for salvation is scattered elsewhere in the Old Testament as well. God calls to us, but He responds to our calling out to Him as well. That’s a good thing, because He’s the only Savior! People trust in all sorts of things to save them, but they generally have a distorted view of what salvation is in the first place. We usually think in material terms, but we aren’t just material beings. Some of the greatest tragedies happen when people treat other human beings as simply material objects, generally for their own pleasure or convenience, but they will be held accountable for such things in the end. We aren’t animals who have spirits, we are spiritual beings who inhabit bodies, and we need to understand salvation in that context. Frankly, most of us have a lot of trouble doing that. Our bodies delight or our bodies hurt, and that commands our full attention. Our bodies are strictly temporary, but we are still responsible for their maintenance, and some people fall down badly there, too. We need to remember that everything material, including our bodies, is simply on loan to us for the duration of our time on earth. God is the Quartermaster who hands it all out, and we are accountable to Him. However, our focus is to be on the spiritual, the eternal, because that is what real salvation consists of.

I’ve written recently of a man who is currently in the hospital with liver failure who is a beautiful illustration of this verse. His wife and daughter were saying yesterday that his mind isn’t always “present,” so to speak, but he knows he became a Christian week before last, and he rejoices in that. As I said again yesterday, we know that his healing is already provided, but we don’t know if it will be manifested in his current body, or when he is before the Throne in heaven. However, we do know that he is saved, for all eternity! He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered. That is what I try to facilitate, but not many recognize the necessity or take advantage of the opportunity. I can’t force anyone to do it, but I can make it available, and it is my joy and privilege to do so.

Father, thank You for Your salvation, that You make so freely available. Thank You for the rock-solid assurance I have of it, and for the privilege of offering it to others. May more and more repent and believe, receiving their salvation and in turn, offering it to others, for a mighty harvest in this land, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!