God Called- It's for You!

Today’s Journal Reading
Genesis 12-14
Luke 5
Psalm 1

Genesis 12:1,4 “The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.”
“So Abram left, as the LORD had told him;”

Luke 5:11, 27-28 “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” “After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth.”Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.”

Observation: In Genesis 12, God calls Abram to leave his home and his people and go to a place he did not know. And Abram did. In Luke 5 Jesus calls Simon, James and John to leave their boats and follow Him. And they did. Jesus also calls Levi to follow him, and he left it all and followed.

Application:
God’s calling is two-fold. It’s a calling towards Him, and a calling away from the current way of living. In Abram’s case, it was physically moving to a far away country away from family, traditions, his home town, etc. In the case of Simon, James, John and Levi, it was leaving their livelihoods and perhaps homes, but they didn’t have to travel to a far away country, and probably were still close enough to remain in contact with their family and friends.

God’s calling on my life can be as drastic as moving to the jungles of Africa and living on beetles and rain water, or it can be staying where I live, and volunteering at a homeless shelter, or quitting my job and running an orphanage, or simply spending committed time in prayer and sharing the gospel with those I come in contact every day at work, school, the store, etc. God’s method of calling us can be and often is different for each of us, but the commitment is the same for all of us. It’s all or nothing. It’s a sacrifice. It’s giving up the old way for a new way. It’s stopping what I’m doing, leaving “It” where it’s at, and heading in a different direction with a different life purpose and with a different job to do.

Lord, so far, you have not called me to a foreign country, or to quit my job, or leave my family and friends, but what you have called me to is a new life. You have called me to leave my old way of thinking, speaking, behaving, dreaming and living. You have called me to drop the “nets” I cling to that provide false security for me, and to follow after your heart and trust in your ways. Regardless of what you call me to do, I want to be as Abram, Simon, James, John and Levi – to be ready and willing to answer your call immediately and to have it known that God called, and so I left and followed him.