My blog post today will be a reflection on my thoughts from my devotion this morning, The Bewildering Call of God taken from My Utmost for His Highest. Here is the devotion,
“God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s. But what seemed to be failure from man’s standpoint was a triumph from God’s standpoint, because God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose.
This bewildering call of God comes into our lives as well. The call of God can never be understood absolutely or explained externally; it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature. The call of God is like the call of the sea—no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him. What God calls us to cannot be definitely stated, because His call is simply to be His friend to accomplish His own purposes. Our real test is in truly believing that God knows what He desires. The things that happen do not happen by chance—they happen entirely by the decree of God. God is sovereignly working out His own purposes. If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, “I wonder why God allowed this or that?” And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.”
God knew what He was doing when he sent his son. Jesus knew that the 12 people closest to him would see him crucified. God knows his purpose for our lives too, whether we choose to listen, or follow, or accept the call he has placed before us.
I’ll be honest, most of the time I catch myself thinking “why in the world did I think I could do the World Race.” Whether I get caught up on the fundraising, or the preparation, or the time away from my home and family there is definitely a lot that could lead you into turning down the World Race. And then I remember devotions like this, “God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose.” God plans for me and His thoughts towards me are SO much greater than the plans and thoughts I have for myself.
The writer of this devotion says this. “it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature.” When I spend my best time with God, my most distraction free time, I know in the depths of my heart that God is for me, and He is with me through this call and this journey. One example of this has been proved by the amazing response of people like you and your generosity through sponsorship and prayers.
This bewildering call of God comes into our lives as well. This call to leave home, family, my job, even my dog is a mostly terrifying thing to accept. It’s a BEWILDERING Call. But it’s a GOOD call from a GOOD God. It’s a WORTHY call for a WORTHY God.
Our real test is in truly believing that God knows what He desires. Let’s continue working towards our best life that reflects this statement. Believing we are lead into a beautiful future by a beautiful God.
