I was seeking
God and trying to find the answer of my weekly question “What shall I write
about today?” I took the time to revisit a couple of my older blogs. After
correcting my typographical error that I cannot figure why I missed before; I
asked God what He wanted me to ‘get’ from it?
Both
articles were chosen at random, they had been written five years apart; and yet
they had a closely knit theme of people being called by God to do something and
the choice they had to make to completely follow His direction or not.
One person
was King Saul; he chose first to follow the Father God, but then chose to
follow the fame he got from man. Then I looked at Isaiah 20:2-4 where it talked
about the man who had to be naked and shoe-less before God.
What does
God have to do to get your attention? Will he make you walk naked before Him
physically before you get the message? Or do you take the time to listen to His
‘still small voice’?
Then
He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And
behold, the Lord passed
by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in
pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in
the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in
the earthquake; and
after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in
the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:11-12
While
I was writing through the old articles I thought about David and how he was anointed
to take King Saul’s place after Saul put the peoples praise over Gods
instructions. David was anointed as a teen, but it took a long time before he
walked in his calling to be King.
He had to go
through a lot of trials, tests and even learning what it really meant to be
forgiven and to forget what was done to Him. He forgave Saul so many times and
God forgave David so many times for being human and weak. In the same way David learned to accept
forgiveness.
In
this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or
uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that
matters, and he lives in all of us. Since
God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with
tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each
other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave
you, so you must forgive others.
Colossians 3:11-13
We
are all called to serve the Lord with gladness and tell others about Him but
some are teachers, some are encouraging, some are writers, some are speakers…
God called each of us for a specific thing, and for general things. It is not always right away that we realize
our calling, just like David we have to grow up a bit before He can put us into
action.
I
am inclined to think on this today as I just returned from a conference that
caused me to realize I am walking in my calling from week to week and day to
day but also to ask myself if I had fallen asleep in my calling. Just to emphasize
this; I was sitting here at my lap top thinking on what to write next, I closed
my eyes, asked God to help me out and I began to drift off to sleep. In my
quick less than two minute doze I picked up a football, that had landed at my
feet, and tossed it across the field in front of me. As I did so I actually
jerked as I moved the arm I was leaning
on and awoke as I threw an invisible ball across my keyboard. How amazing to
have an actual illustration of how even in our sleep God can use us.
In the past year my church went through a lot
of changes; change is often good. In these changes God moved me and some other
leaders to different jobs in our walk with the Lord. I think for a moment we
were like the football I just threw… ready to be picked and then tossed to the
next player. The football was not left alone, I picked it up. Just in case you did not get that analogy; I was
drifting to sleep on my calling to write but God caused me to pick up the ball
even in my sleep and toss it causing me to wake up. He has caused me to find a
new fire in my writing, to find my voice so to speak and throw it out there! I
am awake!
I
do not want to become like Saul and try to do what the masses do, or follow
what the people expect of me; I want to do what God tells me to do and walk in
that calling. Even though I was living life doing what I thought I was supposed
to do God was working with what I did creating a platform for my writing, and
creating a direction for me to get in the game. All I had to do was pick up the
ball and throw it and I was awakened into the writing again.
This
weekend I attended a conference that showed me that I am walking in the calling
He has for me now, as I have been all along but I was sleep walking through it
and now I am awake and alert and ready to get it done!
I
am so grateful to God that He works His will in our hearts and minds, and walks
us through our sleepy times putting us back to work, in His time.
I
am grateful that He gave me the ‘ministry of Band-aids’ in the past, a such a
time as this ministry that allowed me to be used for certain things and certain
times doing things I never thought I could do until the right person came along
to remove the Band-Aid and see the healing. I am glad that He woke me up and I am
sure that I will find another article or two out of my football dream. Life can
be changed in an instant, not always for the bad but if I had not picked up the
ball and thrown it like a football player would I would probably be snoozing
right now and still be wondering what to write about.
I, therefore, the prisoner of
the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with
all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in
love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace. There is one
body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above
all, and through all, and in you all.
Ephesians 4:1-6
Dear Heavenly
Father, thank you for the calling you have given us today; in times past and in
the future. We ask that you keep our focus on You that we may see and hear the
calling on our lives each day, in Jesus name
Read some
more: Ephesians 4:1-32, 1 Kings 19:1-21, Isaiah 20:1-6 and 2 Thessalonians
1:1-12