God is calling us of today as He did His people in the day of old… I am constantly reminded by Holy Spirit that the people written about in the Bible are people JUST like us of today. They had their own insecurities, worries, concerns, issues, just like WE do today. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 1:9:
“There is nothing new under the sun.”
Abraham, Noah, Moses and so many others were called (at their time) for the purpose of God. God is STILL calling people! The question is, will you respond to His call? God is rising up His remnant, but as did each and every person we read about in the Bible, they ALL had free-will and had to decide whether or not they were going to respond to the call God had put on their lives… Trust God to move, walk by faith, follow His lead. We have to do the same…
Maybe when you read those words you become filled with what I call “the but I’s.” What are the “But I’s?” They go something like this:
“But I can’t, I’m not ready…”
Listen, if God is calling you, He believes at whatever point you are in your life – you ARE ready. Jesus said in Mark 2:17:
“Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Do you think that there are moments when I write for the Lord, where my hands do not shake as I consider what an awesome responsibility it is to be called to write for Him? I will be held accountable for every word I write, and that is something I take tremendously serious. There are areas in my walk where I feel I fall short, and I ask wonder:
“Lord, who am I to be a scribe for You?”
And Holy Spirit answers me and says:
“Have you not agreed to be a vessel unto Me? When You pray, ‘Holy Spirit, here are my hands, here is my heart, here is my mind – use me. Fill me today with what you would have me write.’ It is My Words I give to flow out according to MY will through your willingness to be used by me.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 says:
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Can you imagine how Noah felt, being called by the Lord to build an ark? Don’t think for a minute it did not hurt him when all of his friends and probably some of his family thought he had lost his absolute mind. Ridiculed, criticized, ostracized or made fun of him. Don’t think that he didn’t wonder if he had what it would take to do what the Lord asked of him. But here is the thing, Noah was credited for believing God. But think about it for a moment:
GOD BELIEVED IN NOAH
God would not give Noah something that he would not be able to accomplish. God remembers that we are “mere dust.” But what an amazing thing to have a God who desires to use us to fulfill His will here on the earth. If God is calling you to accomplish something in His name, it’s because He knows He has given you the ability to do it! HE BELIEVES IN YOU. The truth of the matter is, we can accomplish NOTHING in and of our own accord. But when we commit our way to Him – the Bible says in Philippians 4:13:
“I can do ALL things in Christ Who strengthens me.”
Every person that you read about in the Bible, who chose to walk by faith – walked in faith NOT IN and OF themselves. What an amazing thing to feel God’s hand upon your life! Knowing that it is Christ IN you! There is NO greater joy!
Listen! God IS calling the Abrahams, Moses’, Davids, Esthers, Samuels, Marys, and others at this point of time to come forward and answer the call that God is putting on your lives! If we don’t, who will? If the God inspired writers of the Bible did not respond to “Yes and Amen” to the calling to be Scribes for the Lord, how would we even now be able to read it? God is NOT calling those who are boastful, prideful, full of themselves (if they are full of themselves then how can they be Holy Spirit filled? There is NO room at the inn of them for Holy Spirit to settle down in).
GOD USES THOSE THAT ARE HUMBLE, THOSE THAT FEEL UNWORTHY, THOSE THAT TREMBLE AND KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO NOTHING IN/OF THEMSELVES. WHY? BECAUSE GOD SHARES HIS GLORY WITH NO MAN.
Abraham left everything familiar to him to answer the call God put upon his life. Do you think he wasn’t scared? Do you think he didn’t realize what an awesome responsibility it was to walk forward in faith? Faith doesn’t mean your heart doesn’t skip a beat as you step out in it… Faith is trusting God, even if your knees tremble. Abraham TRUSTED God.
Look at Moses – Moses, (whose very mother trusted in God enough to put her baby boy in a basket and let it ride upon the waters of the Nile! She trusted God to do His good and perfect will with the life of her child. Do you think Moses’ mother’s heart did not hurt when by faith in the God she trusted, placed his very life into God’s hands?) Moses, (rescued from the waters of the Nile and adopted by Pharaoh’s sister), surprise when he was called by God to be used as His vessel to deliver the Israelites out of slavery, into God’s promised land? Moses even expressed his hesitancies of full filling this calling! We *MAY* feel weak – and that is okay to admit! But God IS strong!
Samuel, as a young boy heard God calling Him, without realizing that it was God and not Eli who was calling him! Samuel 3:1-10 tells the story:
“The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me. “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” “
Maybe you haven’t realized that it IS God who has placed a longing in your heart, to accomplish His good and perfect will… Maybe it is time for YOU to respond and listen attentively to what Holy Spirit would like to tell you…
Mary was blessed because she allowed her body to be a vessel unto the Holy Spirit. The chosen virgin girl agreed to birth the Savior of the world! Do you think Mary wasn’t scared? Do you think it was easy for Mary to go to Joseph and tell him that she was pregnant with the Savior of the world? Come on now – these were REAL flesh and blood people like you and me! Mary WALKED by faith in the God she believed in! The God she said “yes” to use her body to birth Jesus! Do you think it was easy for Mary to see ALL that Jesus’ went through? But she knew Who His Father REALLY was! Mary was honored that God had chosen her to accomplish His good and perfect will! Will YOU let God use YOU to do His good and perfect will through YOUR life?
The call is no different than the calling those of old received! God IS asking us to say “YES” to Him in allowing Him to do a GOOD work THROUGH us! We can’t do ANYTHING in and of ourselves! It is ALWAYS God.
What red seas are before you right now that you are believing God to part for you? What mockers mock you for your faith? Maybe God has asked you to remain steadfast believing Him for their salvation… For their healing… For His good and perfect will to occur in their lives… We may not know the reason, but we know that God ALWAYS has a purpose! He NEVER said it would be easy! Do you think for one moment it was easy for Abraham, Noah, Moses, David, Mary or any of those who said yes to God through ALL they experienced? David wrote many Psalms which indicate otherwise! Maybe you don’t know how you are going to get through the next moment – but if you have placed your life in God’s hands, it will be God who gets you through it. It is ALWAYS God who parts the red seas in our lives. It is ALWAYS God who wins the “Goliath” size battles we encounter. It is ALWAYS God who provides a way where mockers say “there is not a way.” We CHOOSE who it is we will listen to, who we will believe!
Will you put your faith in the One Who is calling you right now? Will you push aside ALL the doubt, ALL the “But I’s…” And respond, “Yes Lord” to His call upon your life? Quiet all the self-doubt, mockers and even voices being whispered into your ear by the evil one and step forward in faith that God WILL accomplish His good and perfect purpose for your life? Truly I tell you, there is NO greater joy than walking in accordance to God’s purpose for your life. Knowing FULLY well, that it it is NOT you, but Christ IN you that enables you to “build that ark” or “walk through that parted sea” or “lead others in God’s will” or whatever it is you are up against, enable you to “throw that rock of faith” knowing it is and always HAS been the One Who is GREATER using vessels that are weak to accomplish His will. HE WILL. We only have to believe, not in ourselves – but in Him Who has called us to such a time as this, and respond with our own faith (as those that came before us did), and watch and see what God WILL DO in Jesus’ name. AMEN
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