TOPIC: WHEN GOD CALLS
MEMORISE:
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23
READ: Matthew 8:19-23
19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
MESSAGE
Nowadays, many see Gods call as a call to a higher social status. Even though God rewards those who work hard to please Him with influence and wealth, His call to service is a call to put Him first in everything. In Matthew 19:16-24, a rich man, who had been careful to obey God's commandments, approached Jesus and said, "Lord, I have obeyed all your commands, and I have kept all the law, but somehow, I feel that something is missing.
What do I lack?" Jesus replied: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." On hearing this, he became sorrowful because he had many possessions and obviously valued them more than following Jesus. Beloved, when God calls you, following Him must be your only focus, and you should be ready to surrender anything He asks of you, including your life (Luke 14:26).
Those who will heed God's call must see Him as their only source. This is why in Numbers 18:20, God told Aaron that he would have no inheritance among the Israelites because He would be his inheritance. In Ezekiel 44:28, God said that He would be the inheritance of His priests.
God is not against you taking up secular jobs (except He has specifically told you not to); however, He wants you to see Him as your only source. If God calls you, no matter how wealthy or influential you are, He will first take you through a wilderness to be sure that you are serious about serving Him and that you are not just serving Him for material gains. If you lose patience in the wilderness season and start going after material things, you are not fit for the call. This is why we have many half-baked ministers of God today; when God was building them in their wilderness season, they rebelled against Him and found alternatives.
Those who will be used mightily by God must be willing to trust Him wholeheartedly. Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith is built when you let go of everything you can rely on and focus on God alone. The good news is, after He has truly seen that your faith is solely in Him, He will begin to raise you up, and when God raises you, there is no limit to how far He can take you.
KEY POINT
Those who will be used mightily by God must be willing to trust Him wholeheartedly.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 21-23
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
1. Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2. Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3. Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
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