Called and Equiped

"For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how i persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days."
Galatians 1:13-18

As most believers know, but need to be reminded of from time-to-time, every believer has a calling on their life from God. Oh, it may not be a call to be a pastor/teacher, or any "up front" ministry. But we all have a call from God upon our lives. It should not be a scary or fearful thing for the believer. To realize that God has called us to be more than what we are, is a very exciting and yet humbling prospect. The question though, for most of us, is not that He has called us, but to what? That is where being in the Word of God.spending time in prayer, and just as important, listening to Him speak to us, on a daily basis, is vital to the life of a believer. Along with that, a sober look at our lives, to see God's hand moving, and how He has moved in the past, is also a help. What kinds of situations has God led me into on a consistent basis? Where does He seem to be leading me now? What gives me His peace in my heart when I am doing it? These are indicators, that perhaps are pointing the way. But for me, yes, those things were indicators, but not the sole determining factor. In my life, God spoke to me in a way in which I knew it was Him without a doubt, I could not ignore it, and it resonated in my life so loudly, that others knew God was calling me in this direction as well.

Perhaps you know that God has called you, but you feel ill-prepared and inadequate. There is an adage that is so true. It says, "God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called." I don't know who said that, but it is so true. I think first of Gideon, who was from the least important family in his tribe, and he was the least person in his family. He was the least, and yet God called him to do some mighty things. Gideon was called to lead an army of three hundred men, against an army of Midianites which were as numerous as locusts. Now, I don't know about you, but just going into battle would be nerve-wracking enough, but to go to battle with such insurmountable odds would be enough to turn your knees to rubber, save for the fact that the Lord our God is with us. But you know what beloved? We go into those battles with those odds in different situations in our lives every day. God has called us. Yes we feel inadequate. Yes we feel ill-prepared. But, yes, the Lord our God is with us. He has called us.

But not only does He calls us, but He prepares us. He equips us. God called Gideon, and prepared him for the battle and for victory. God called Paul, and sent him to the back side of the Arabian desert, to prepare and equip him for the ministry to which he was called. Beloved, the same is with you. God will equip you, because He called you. Your calling does not come from man, and your equipping does not come from man either. Your equipping comes from the Lord. He called you. He knows to what He has called you. He will equip you. So have faith, my beloved. Our God is a mighty God, and He has called you into His marvelous light. And because He has called you, He will equip you for what He has called you to do. Trust in Him. Lean on Him. Believe in Him. Amen.