Isaiah
6:8 (KJV):
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.
Matthew
22:14 (KJV)
For many are called, but few are chosen.
In
Part 01, we learned that the ‘call of God’ can be personal and universal. It is
also means spiritual responsibilities. In Part 02, we will see that the
commitment and responsibilities of God’s call also bring privileges and
blessings.
The
Call of God Has Privileges
Here
is the justice of God: those who obey the call, pay the price, and do so with a
whole heart, are appointed to great reward. There is the promise of abundant
life in Christ (John 10:10ff). This author is thoroughly convinced that the
most effective, adventurous, joyful, fruitful and fulfilled life, is the one
that is lived for God. Even those persons who enjoy worldly fame, acclaim,
riches, and longevity, cannot be compared to the life lived to the full for
God. Furthermore, the worldly achievements last, at best, only for a time; for
the chosen of God their fruit lasts for all time, even eternity.
Those
who are called of God and give up precious things in order to fulfil the call
are promised bountifully reward in this life. By the grace of God, we
can see 100-fold fruitfulness. You can never go bankrupt giving to the Lord;
indeed, you cannot out-give Him at all, because what you surrender to Him will
be multiplied many fold.
The
Privilege of Survival
In
this challenging, changing world, survival and success are great blessings. Yet
they are not found by merely ‘playing it safe.’ We have to step out in faith,
rather than staying with the familiar and comfortable. Today’s territory
becomes tomorrow’s trap. Remember the story of the 6 or 7 Americans, who evaded
capture by the Iranians during the US hostage crisis of 1979-1981. Their refuge
was the Canadian ambassador’s residence in Tehran. There they were fed, housed,
and seemingly safe. Yet, in time, their whereabouts were discovered and the
ambassador’s residence was raided. Had they not accepted ‘the call’ to take a
way of escape out of the country, they would have been entered into captivity
with the other American hostages, or even something worse.
One
of my favourite metaphors is that of the sinking of the ocean liner Titanic in
April 1912. This legendary tragedy has become a parable of our times. The
biggest ship of its day, designed to be ‘unsinkable,’ ended up on the bottom of
the North Atlantic Ocean after only 4 days on its maiden voyage. Over 1,500
people perished and only 700 survived. The unsinkable ship sank less than three
hours after hitting an iceberg. Had the people stayed with what was ‘familiar -
rich stayed in their plush rooms, the diners in the dining room, or the
loungers in the deck chairs -they surely would have quickly perished. But for
those who accepted ‘the call’ to get into the life-boats - not every person
did) - they were saved from drowning. Sure, the life-boats were small, cramped,
and uncomfortable, compared to the luxury ocean liner, but those who obeyed the
call made it safely to their destination, New York.
In
Scripture, Noah’s ark, Lot’s flight from Sodom, Isaac’s Rehoboth, Joseph’s
storehouse, David’s Cave of Adullam, and many other such incidents, show that
the called have a place of refuge from all the storms of life. In the Sermon on
the Mount, Jesus highly commends those who ‘hear and obey’ His words. He calls
them wise people who build their house on the rock. When … not if … the rains
descend, the floods rise, and the winds beat on the house, they have nothing to
fear. The house will still be standing, no matter what, because it is built on
the rock (Matthew 7:24-25).
TO
BE CONTINUED
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