“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, ‘Here am I; send me.'” Isaiah 6:8
Dear Ones:
The calling of God is not just an “idea” that we have in how we think we should serve God. If there is one thing that Isaiah understood, after he received this vision of God, it was that God’s calling was a Divine one, and that it was the WILL and purpose of his Maker and Redeemer. In other words, that calling would supercede all other obligations of his life, because of the holiness of the One who reveals it.
The Apostle Paul, in writing to the Christians in Rome, elaborated on the essence and purpose of the calling. “How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” (10:14,15) Again, we are faced with the fact that God “calls” us, all of us, with a holy, heavenly calling. In this case, it is to preach the Gospel. What is so very important to grasp here is that God reveals His calling to those who are ready, and willing to see and understand it. Secondly, the calling of God of the individual is part of the mosaic of His collective purpose, to evangelize the world, and to build His body, the church. And thirdly, the calling of God is the declaration of God to the heart that He is with us, and has already provided all that is needful to fulfill that calling. “Faithful is He who calls you, who also, will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24)
After the resurrection, the Lord Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples, and said unto them: “…as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” (Jn. 20:21) He went on to “breathe on them,” and say: “Receive ye the Holy Spirit.”(v. 22) The most fundamental, and singular meaning of the calling of God pertains to the call to fellowship, communion with Him. We see this in the life of the Lord Jesus. The individual calling of each of the disciples was specific in objective, capacities, and blessings…born out of communion with God by the Spirit. Can we not trust the Spirit of God to reveal to our hearts the essence of the calling of God, and His the specific mission that He has for each of us? He has already provided in Christ the gifts and capacities needed to equip us.
Dear Father, lead us in Your way. Give us grace to not lean unto our own understanding, but to give Thee the open door to “come in” and commune with us. Also, open our eyes to see, and to know, this “calling” that is specific to us, and according to Your will, fulfilling Your purposes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad