“No matter where God is leading, remember that you can not only trust Him, but you can talk to Him about your fears, concerns, and worries as well. He sees you heart and wants to lead you, even when you’re struggling to follow.”
This is very interesting to me. I guess sometimes we think that if God is leading us somewhere, we shouldn’t ask questions. Somehow if we are afraid, we have to feel the fear and do it anyway.
My interpretation of that response to a calling is that He sends us on this scary mission and we don’t want to involve God in any way, just do it because He said. That leaves God out of the picture as we prove how hard we can try so He approves of how we are following through on what He has called us to do.
That describes a dictator who demands obedience, without question.
That’s not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible says this:
“Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
He says in Joshua 1:5: “ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.”
Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel [God with us]”
Matthew 11:28-30 :
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest, relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome, useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant, and My burden is light and easy to be borne.”
A yoke:
“a device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen, usually consisting of a crosspiece with two bow-shaped pieces, each enclosing the head of an animal.”
God has told us over and over again in these and numerous verses about how He is with us, He never will leave us, and He wants to equip us, and pull the weight with us.
Recorded in Luke 14:28, Jesus speaks about counting the cost before we agree to follow Him.
“For which of you, wishing to build a farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost [to see] whether he has sufficient means to finish it?”
Calculating the cost involves research, questions and conversations. He does not ask us to follow blindly, He says, let’s talk about this, we need to be on the same page.
Jesus’ words recorded in John 14:23-26:
“Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him. Anyone who does not [really] love Me does not observe and obey My teaching. And the teaching which you hear and heed is not Mine, but [comes] from the Father Who sent Me. I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.”
There we see Jesus asking for obedience if we really love Him, and He’s sending help to make sure we remember what He said.
My new thoughts are these: God may call me to something scary. If so, He wants to prepare me, council me, do whatever it is together with me, and welcomes all my questions so that I can walk into what He has called me, with confidence not in myself, but in the One who called me. Besides that, He is available every second for me to bounce ideas off of Him as He guides and directs me.
His call is not for a “me against the world” scenario. His call is Jesus and me together against whatever is impeding the Kingdom of Heaven.
I can be strong and courageous because He is with me, and His Name means, God with us. I am not alone, no matter the circumstance. He will never leave me. He wrote my name in the palm of His Hand. I am His, and He is mine, forever.
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