God's Call On Your Life

Chuckle: Michelangelo's mother: "Can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"

Quote: "Show me the way,  Not to fortune and fame,  Not how to win Laurels  Or praise for my name --  But show me the way  To spread 'The Great Story'  That Thine is The Kingdom  And Power and Glory."              --Helen Steiner Rice

GOD'S CALL ON YOUR LIFE

    "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8 NIV).

This powerful passage reminds us that God calls his people for specific purposes. It also reminds us that the response which pleases and honors God is "Here I am, send me." Or, "Here I am Lord and I will gladly do whatever you wish me to do -- Your will be done. . . ."

There is a central truth: God's call is not only for a select few, but for every believer. Isaiah was listening to a non-specific call from God, but he personalized it by stepping forward in complete abandon to make himself available for whatever God had in store for him. Whether we hear the call of God depends on the condition of our hearts and spiritual ears. And how we interpret that call depends on our spiritual mindset. Am I listening for the call of God? Will I hear him when he calls? Or, am I so far away from God that I can't hear his voice?

"But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear (and obey), but shalt be drawn away, and worship other God's and serve them; I denounce (declare) unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish. . ." (Deuteronomy 30:17-18 KJV).

We see here the classic pattern of people drifting away and rebelling against God. You see, if our hearts are turned away from God, we will not hear Him. Then we will establish other substitute gods in our lives -- anything that becomes more important to us than our relationship and fellowship with God. When this process has run it's course, we will no longer be listening for the One True God's call. We will not hear that still small voice of invitation to join Him in fulfilling His purpose for our lives.

As a pastor, I have had Christians say they did not sense God calling them to teach a Bible study class, serve on a committee, or to witness to a lost friend. Sometimes our hearts can turn away from God and toward other things. Then we can move so far from God that we are unable to hear his call and don't know if God is calling us or not. We may not be listening for God's call because our hearts are turned away to other selfish things. To hear God's call, we must listen intently and with purpose -- leaning forward toward him with anticipation while cupping our spiritual ears with our hands, so to speak, for fear that we might miss something the God of the universe wishes to say to us.

Love, Jerry & Dotse