“Then the word of the Lord came unto me saying, ‘Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctfied thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.'” Jeremiah 1:5
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrote, in the context God’s sovereignty, and work of salvation, that, “…the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.” (11:29) By this declaration it is very apparent that nothing is by chance, and that, though we may not understand the ways of God, nor His sovereignty, we can trust His heart, when we cannot trace His hand. However, it should give to each of us great comfort to know that the One who is at the helm of our small ships is the Almighty, wondrous to save, and certain to guide and bless. He is ever seeking the individual heart, that someone who will truly trust Him, for then will the great truths that are in Christ concerning man’s purpose, salvation, and means for living will come into perspective and use.
In Psalm 139, David wrote that he was, “…fearfully and wonderfully made.” (v.14) He speaks of God seeing him in his mother’s womb, “…yet being imperfect.” In addition, “…in Thy book all my members were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” (v.16) David’s application of this knowledge is seen by his discovery that God knows his “down sitting” and his uprising,” being “…acquainted with all my ways.” He even goes on to say, “For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest altogether.” (v.4) David, like the Apostle Paul, discovered not only that God was the Creator, but that God’s hand was upon him for this reason. Their existence was not by chance, nor their “calling or their gifts.” There was, and continues to be, as a result of their writings and testimony an ongoing affirmation and confirmation of the sovereign God, His all-knowing, and merciful dealings with the sinner, to save, and then to bless.
Are all men called to be a David or an Apostle Paul? No, although the need for ALL to know the saving work of Christ in the heart IS the same. The calling of God and the gifts are given by God for an eternal purpose, one that only can be fully realized when first, one is born again of the Spirit of God, and then who learns to walk by the Spirit for the fulfillment of the will of God. Scripture tells us that all who are saved, since the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God was poured out upon all flesh, belong to the body of Christ, each one being a member of that body. Every member is endowed with a specific, monumental privilege, and that is that each as an equal access to God by the blood of Christ. That makes every member in the body of Christ to possess a worth, and value, that is beyond expression. The calling is first and foremost to communion with Christ. Then that calling is translated to the individual by the guiding hand of God, revealing to him the path he is to take in life for the fulfillment of his mission and purpose. It is to this point and place that God desires to bring every individual, not only to know deep fellowship with Christ, born out of worship, but communion with Christ in service. This is why it is so very important for every believer to come to the place of truly trusting God to guide him clearly with regard to his calling, so that the gifts and capacities that God has given him, can be fully used for the advancement of the kingdom of God.
Before David and Paul were born, God knew them, saw them, formed them. It would be by the singular moment of their conversion that the power and control of sin, self, and Satan were broken. By the Spirit they were now empowered to become faith-filled.
Dear Father, Show us Thy way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.