Did You Call Me?

I love this recent upgrade with my cable and digital phone service. Instead of the conventional caller id on my phone, the display comes on my television screen when the phone rings. I thought, “how cool is that, I don’t even have to get up and look at the phone to see if I want to answer it. So when a political call displays I can decide if I want to talk to John McCain or Mary Bono or choose not to.

There is a call we don’t miss though, and that’s the call from the Lord. He’s made many calls to people in the Bible and he still makes them today. Here’s a couple from the Old Testament starting with Samuel’s call when he was just a boy. “Suddenly, the Lord called out, ‘Samuel!’ ‘Yes?’ Samuel replied. ‘What is it?’ He got up and ran to Eli. ‘Here I am. Did you call me?’ Then the Lord called out again, ‘Samuel!’ Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. ‘Here I am. Did you call me?’ Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy.” 1 Samuel 3:4-8

“The Lord gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4-5. And Isaiah received a call and anxiously answered. “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8.

I pray that all of us would respond to the Lord with a resounding “yes”. “Pick me Lord or give me that assignment Lord. I’m ready if you think I am.” Your word says “I can do all things thru the power of Christ. He gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.

But if you’re like me you can sometimes treat a call from the Lord like those pesky tele-marketing calls. “You want me to do what Lord? Invite that annoying person to church. You want me to serve at church and not just attend. You want me to ask that person if I can pray with them right now.” If we have accepted Christ as our saviour then we have the Holy Spirit living in us and he will prompt us when God is calling us to act. We don’t have the luxury of Him shouting from heaven with our instructions.

We need to stay joined to Him like we do to our spouse, kids or friends. We need to stay in His word, converse with Him and look for how He can be speaking to us thru others. I have felt the Lord call me recently into teaching and I know it’s totally Him. My background is one that would keep me glued to my seat when it came to public speaking, but I now found myself teaching in a spiritual growth class at church to audiences of 60-100 people. I know the Lord gets the glory since I would never have done it before in my own strength. He prompted me to start blogging and while I can say writing was my background in college I have to rely on Him on what to write about.

I know my job and yours is to keep our schedules open and available for Him and His glory. The Lord is not going to hear a busy signal for long when he calls us. He will get our attention. He doesn’t want to be call-waited off the line. He will get our attention. Remember, the Lord will use you and call you wherever you are. You don’t need to wait to get all your ducks in a row. You just need to be ready to answer.

Take Away
1. Is your schedule so busy that the Lord has given your assignment to someone else?
2. Do you know how the Lord calls you?
3. Do you try and ignore His call or do you answer on the first ring?
4. Can you think of a call you have answered recently that you know is from the Lord?