Even a child is taught early in life the significance of that telephone number. It’s a type of magical number that unlocks a treasure trove of lifesaving resources in a matter of seconds. The three-digit number, 9-1-1, has been designated as the Universal Emergency Number for citizens across the United States. The catalyst for a nationwide emergency number was based on a recommendation by The National Association of Fire Chiefs in 1957, requesting a single number for reporting fires. On February 16, 1968, the first official 9-1-1 call was completed in Haleyville, Alabama. According to the National Emergency Number Association, over 240 million calls are made to 9-1-1 across our nation annually. That’s a lot of emergencies!
But let’s step back a moment and ponder why we dial that number. Do we hope that someone is on the other end of the line, do we think they may be capable of helping us, do we cross our fingers and wish for a lifeline? No, we phone 9-1-1 because we KNOW that someone is trained, ready, willing, and able to assist us, poised to respond calmly to the situation and dispatch the help needed.
In Psalm 70, David sends a 9-1-1 call, “Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD…For thou art my hope, O LORD GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.” Why does David call upon his God? Does he wonder if God can help in this desperate situation in which he finds himself, does he wish that God maybe could deliver him? David calls upon his God because the psalmist knows that God “SHALL deliver the needy when he crieth…He SHALL spare the poor…He SHALL redeem…He SHALL come down…He SHALL have dominion…He SHALL judge…His name SHALL endure.” David knows that his God is poised to respond calmly to the situation and dispatch the help needed.
When your life is out of control, when circumstances are overwhelming you, when you find yourself in the middle of you own five-alarm fire, how do you respond? You can be wise “in thine own eyes,” or you can “Trust in the LORD…and lean not unto thine own understanding.” God issues His own precious guarantee, “I will never leave thee, not forsake thee.” His is on duty 24/7, never sleeps, never slumbers, waiting for your call, ready to respond. We have a Tower of Strength ready to dispatch His power; 9-1-1 Him today!
Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Lord, thank You that You are always available to my cries, always ready to respond in love to Your child.