When God Calls

Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.

 

Acts 9:8a

When God calls us into service, there is often much travail. There are many examples where God makes His presence known through circumstances that tax the individual to his very soul.


Consider Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were thrown into the fiery furnace.

Consider Daniel, who was thrown into the lions' den.

 

Consider Peter; when he denied Jesus before the crucifixion, he was in total despair.

Consider Paul, who was stricken blind on the Damascus road.

It may seem strange to us that God uses such incredible adversity to prepare His servants for greater service, but this is God's way. God knows that the human heart is incapable of voluntarily stepping into situations that take us beyond our comfort zone.

 

 

God intentionally brings us into hard places to prove us and to drive us deeper into the soil of His grace.

In arid regions of the world, trees cannot survive unless their roots grow deeper to where the water table can be found. Once they reach the water, these trees become stronger than any tree that can be found in tropical climates. Their root systems ensure that they can withstand any storm.

 

 

In the same way, God brings us into extremely difficult situations in order to prove His power and drive our spiritual roots deeper.

God may take us through times when we will question His love for us. In such times, we must cling to Him so that we continue to move by faith and not by sight as we see His purposes in it—we should not throw away our confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

We need to persevere so that when we have done the will of God, we will receive what He has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But My righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him" (Hebrews 10:36-38).