1 Corinthians 12:31b (NAS)

And I show you a still more excellent way.
1Corinthians 12:31b (NAS)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Those Whom God Calls

 I do not know how a preacher gets up to speak every week if he thinks about the awful burden of responsibility that is his.  To speak for God!  It is a very humbling experience to stand before God's people to say, "Thus saith the Lord".  At times, I'm certain they must question their ability to perform their duties. "What if  I mess this up; profane God's name?  What if I cause someone to stumble or what if I do not speak the truth?"  I have experienced some of this kind of trepidation myself whenever I click on the Publish Post button for my blog.  The biggest danger for me is that pride can easily slip in and I can loose sight of my original motive in writing, that is, to glorify God. 

We have many examples in scripture of God using less-than-perfect people who felt unworthy or ill equipped to lead others.  Men like Moses who did not think that the people would listen to him and Gideon who questioned whether God really meant it when he called him to lead the people.  In each case, God equipped these men whom he called with the skill and knowledge that they would need.  In 1Samuel 9&10 we have the account of Saul being chosen by God to be the first king of Israel.  God reveals to Samuel that Saul is the man that he has chosen and when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the Man..... but Saul expressed some reluctance to this new calling upon his life, even to the point of hiding when the tribes were being presented for selection.  God confirmed his calling of Saul not only by Samuel's words but by empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  In chapter 10 verses 9 & 10 we read, "God gave Saul another heart and the Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied among them."  In addition to these confirmations, God surrounded Saul with a group of men to assist him because he knew that Saul would need help.

So we can surmise that those whom God calls he also equips to do his will.  Jesus understood this principle and talked about the fact that he was dependent on the Father in John 8:28b,  ".....I do nothing of myself; but as my father hath taught me, I speak these things."  Jesus knew that his Father had sent him and that he had never left him alone.  His ministry grew out of  his relationship with the Father and he always glorified his Father.

We too can do nothing without the Father's help.  And unless we are in an intimate relationship with God our Father and his son Jesus Christ, we have nothing to say or give.  I think it's important to give credit where credit is due.  For me personally that means before I write a blog post, I wait until I have a topic or idea of spiritual significance.  This is usually something I read during my Bible reading or something that came up in a conversation or something I experienced.   I pray before, after, and during the process.  I never know for sure where my writing will take me.  But, I definitely feel that the inspiration comes from the Holy Spirit.  He brings it all together, reminds me of things, helps me choose words, gives me scripture to support my ideas.  So all glory to God, for without him, I can do nothing.

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