And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

Joel 2:32

It’s not a flawless system by any means—what human invention is perfect in an imperfect world? Still, the 9-1-1 emergency telephone number is pretty amazing.

As most people know, 9-1-1 is the digit sequence North Americans dial when they find themselves in emergency situations. In most cases, depending on where we are, we can press those three numbers on any type of phone to request—and receive—help from the police, fire department or EMT personnel within a matter of minutes.

Long before the days of 9-1-1, the prophet Joel foresaw a terrible day of trouble and judgment. He urged, not a phone call to a fellow human being, but calling out, crying out directly to God. And he promised that the desperate pleas of humble people would never fall on deaf ears. The Lord, indeed, rescues all those who look to him.

Jesus later said the same thing in different words: “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).

Are you facing a hard or terrifying situation? Call on the name of the Lord. He stands ready to help. And he is able to save.

GOD’S PROMISE TO ME

• If you call on my name, I will be faithful to save.

MY PRAYER TO GOD

Lord, thank you for the promise to hear and answer my cries for help. Your rescue of me may not end up looking like what I imagined, but you do promise to deliver. Grant me the faith to believe this promise with all my heart.