Greetings again my Brethren. One thing for sure the longer you go with God the more diverse circumstances and situations you will find yourself. This month we will begin to look at different circumstances in the Scriptures that many found themselves in while answering the call. Seemingly of no fault of our own God will lead us into impossible situations. So too is the call of God in our lives. God’s call always come with impossible objectives and unrealistic goals so that man in his own strength and abilities cannot accomplish the call of God in their lives. The call of God in our lives is only accomplished when we operate and function in the power of the Holy Spirit. We see this almost impossible task God called Moses to. In Exodus 3 we read, “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.” (Exodus 3:1) There Moses saw the burning bush that was not consumed and was called by God to deliver the Children of Israel from the hard hand of Pharaoh. “Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:9-10) Moses was minding his own business and his father-in-law’s sheep when God decided to have a face to face with him. When God comes calling our lives are never the same and He has His ways of getting us to answer. Count the cost my friend when God calls. To answer God’s call will mean one thing and we will pay a price, but if we do not answer God’s call for our lives we still will pay a price. Take heed to yourself God plays for keeps. Here God spoke to Moses and even answered his excuses and selfishness, but this may not be the case as with Elisha. In 1 Kings we read of young Elisha being called by Elijah to the ministry. “So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 21And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.” (1 Kings 19:19-21) Here no words were spoken by Elijah the call was automatically understood by Elisha unlike with Moses. With Moses God had to even do signs and wonders to get Moses to “turn aside” to see the bush that burned, but was not consumed. One would think Elisha was a young boy and easily convinced, but that could not be the case because he was plowing the field with a 12 oxen team quite a feat for a man. No Elisha knew in his heart he was to follow and serve Elijah. We must never forget the call of God on our lives is first answered in our heart and as we move correctly inwardly our outward reaction will align with God’s plan for our lives. Worry not about outward actions they are never a true reflection of reality. It is the inward work of the heart and the soul searching which yield the fruit God is looking for in our lives. And you know things just work out then. I really like what Elisha did after he accepted his call to minister; he settled relationships with his parents and then slew his yoke of oxen so that he would not have an option of going back to a previous revelation. Peter told Jesus we have sold all to follow you, but where did he get his boat to go fishing in John Chapter 21? When we truly answer God’s call for our lives we will burn some bridges so that we cannot find our way back to the former way of life.
Next month we will look at Amos while following his flock and the disciples while fishing when they were called. Remember many are called but few are chosen. Do you hear Him now?
