Responding to God's Call

 March 2, 2024

Saturday

Some of us cannot see ourselves as people who will do something great for the Lord. We look at ourselves and admit that greatness is not in us. We don't have the look of those who do things great. We aren't tall or handsome or so beautiful that everyone looks at us. We don't have voices that command attention. We aren't popular in school and haven't been popular since school. We see ourselves as average and mediocre at best.

So, we typically stand in the back and hope that no one calls our names for something we aren't sure that we can do anyway. Our only claim to fame is: We are humble.

Most of the time, it isn't humility that kept us from doing something great. It was fear. It was the fear of failing. It was the fear of proving to everyone else that we weren't able to do what we really needed to do.

Have you ever thought that maybe that's the reason we don't hear God call us to something great? Maybe we aren't listening because we have determined that anything great can't be for us. 

When Gideon was called by God to lead God's people to victory over the Midianites, Gideon replied:

“But he said to Him, “O Lord, how am I to save Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”” (Judges 6:15, NASB 2020)

Gideon was supposing, as most of us do, that God's call comes to our strength. That isn't the case at all. God's call comes to many people. Many of them cannot see beyond who they are. We never hear of them because they didn't respond to God's call.

The key isn't God's call but our obedience. The strength is not within us but within God. The accomplishment is because God works through us and with us for victory. Meeting God's call means that we surrender who we think we are to accept what God will do through us. Who we think we are has nothing to do with what God can do through us. Great things can happen as long as we are His and we act in His wisdom and strength in His will.

Maybe you didn't plan for that today. Gideon was threshing out grain in a winepress when God called him. He didn't expect God's calling. Of course, he made sure it was God before he acted. There is nothing wrong with testing to make sure that you are hearing from God as long as you won't deny it was Him after He reveals Himself to you.

Listen carefully. Maybe God will speak to you today. Maybe He will call you. Yes, you, the one who thinks he is the least of the least. When you respond, God will get the glory.