His appearance to Saul on the road to Damascus is a good example. The Lords asked Saul to quit persecuting the church, turn away from a lifetime of Judaism, and serve Him in the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.
The example of Abram stirred my thinking the most. In Genesis 10, God asked Abram to pick up and leave his native country along with the bulk of his family - without telling him exactly where he wanted him to go or what his specific mission would be. Although God did promise Abram that there would be blessings for him, the Scripture doesn't indicate that Abram had any more details upon which to make a decision.This, however, is not our nature. It certainly isn't MY nature. Yes, I want to do God's will, but I want all the details! I want to figure out if God needs my help with His plan. I want to weigh the pros and the cons, and I definitely want to know where I will wind up...
However, God has called me just like He called Abram: he has asked me to pick up and go; he has asked me to keep my eyes open along the way and do those works He has prepared for me (Ephesians 2:10); and, He has asked me to look at people much differently - to love them as He loved me (John 13:34). And, he has promised me enormous blessing, just as He did Abram...
Such is the nature of faith - as Paul told the Corinthian church: "We live by faith, not by sight" (1 Corinthians 5:7). I suspect that God knows the journey will require effort, even sacrifice, on my part, and it is in my best interest not to know the destination until I have arrived. I suspect that our Father is probably teaching me that the journey itself is just as important as the destination.
"Thank you, Father. Give me strength for the journey - and the faith to repent, to go, and to serve."
1 comment:
amen!
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