Before taking office in January 2009 the newly elected president Barack Obama, a member of the Democrat party, reached out to Republicans to emphasize his desire to work together to make things happen. When he called a Republican member of Congress from Florida, she hung up on him because she thought it was a prank call. He called a second time, and again she hung up. On the third attempt she was able to be convinced that it really was Barack Obama.

The apostle Peter experienced something similar when he escaped from prison thanks to God's miraculous intervention. He went to the house where he knew he would find his brethren. But when he knocked on the door, he was just left standing outside. When a maid announced Peter's presence, she was told: "You're out of your mind!" (Acts 12:15; NIV).

That's the way some people react when questions about God's existence are asked. God doesn't force Himself upon us, but He does make His existence known via the creation so no one really has an excuse for denying His existence: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

We are part of that creation, and the creator has given us free moral agency. So we are able to ignore God when He calls or knocks on the door.

What would it be like to have Jesus Christ call or knock? He is the final messenger sent by God to proclaim God's message: "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:1-2).

In Revelation 3, verse 20 Jesus tells us: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Jesus is talking to Christians, to the church at Laodicea. And all Christians are to "hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (verse 22). Jesus, the head of His church, wants to accompany us on our walk with Him and His father and guide us. He calls us to show us something. Do we recognize His voice or do we hang up immediately?

"If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).

With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!