When God Calls Pt. 1
Are you responding to God's call, or are you running?Hey guys, my name is Isom and welcome back to Diligent Discipleship. As Christian men, we often find ourselves on a journey of spiritual growth, and a big part of that is answering God's calling. Today, I'm kicking off a short series on the book of Jonah and God's calling. A lot of people see the book of Jonah as an example of what happens when we run from ministry or God’s calling, and while that's true, I want to focus on another perspective: God’s love and grace. Even when we are not fully surrendered or are reluctantly obedient, I want to focus on God's relentless pursuit of us even when we run. The goal for this series is to encourage you to embrace God’s calling and trust in his grace and compassion, recognizing that your obedience is a powerful part of His plan for salvation.
In this episode, I want to look at four biblical figures and their responses to God's call to deepen our understanding of our own faith journey: Moses, Gideon, Jonah, and Philip.
* Moses: Overcoming Feelings of Inadequacy. When God called Moses from the burning bush to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses responded with feelings of inadequacy, asking "Who am I?". Moses also questioned his ability to speak, stating he was "slow of speech and slow of tongue". God's response was a promise: "Certainly I will be with you". I have to remind myself that God, Yahweh, is the one who is calling me, and He is the one who will be with me. He is the God of all creation, and He will teach my tongue what to say even when I feel inadequate. This is a powerful lesson for us as Christian men facing new challenges.
* Gideon: Trusting God Despite Your Weakness. When the Angel of the LORD called Gideon a "mighty man of valor," Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. He responded by saying he was the "least in my father's house" and not a mighty man. God’s response was a promise: "Surely I will be with you". Gideon asked for multiple signs to confirm God's calling. He even asked God to make the fleece wet while the ground was dry, and then to make the fleece dry while the ground was wet. I think this shows that God is patient with our doubts and will be with us regardless of what we think of ourselves.
* Jonah: When We Disobey God's Word. In contrast to Moses and Gideon, Jonah did not express feelings of doubt or inadequacy. Instead, he simply disobeyed and ran away from God's presence, fleeing to Tarshish instead of going to Nineveh as commanded. I've seen that people, myself included, run from God's call due to fear of failure, discomfort, self-perceived inadequacies, or personal biases. I challenge you to think about what you might be putting in place of God's will, such as your career, time with family, or other priorities.
* Philip: The Power of Obedience in Action. I want to contrast Jonah's disobedience with the immediate obedience of Philip from Acts chapter 8. When an angel of the Lord told Philip to "arise and go toward the south", Philip "arose and went" without questioning, even though the destination was a desert. Because of his obedience, he was able to meet and baptize an Ethiopian eunuch, resulting in the salvation of one man.
Conclusion: A Call to Spiritual Growth and Deeper Discipleship
I want to ask you, what is God calling you to today? What have you been putting off because you're afraid? God doesn't show us every step of the way, because if He did, it wouldn't require a lot of faith on our part. He wants us to trust in Him and to trust that His plans are for our good. I hope this encourages and challenges you, because if we are not being challenged, we are not growing in our walk with Jesus Christ.
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