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You are never alone; for, He has promised never to leave you alone. He walks with you and talks with you, along life’s narrow way, are the words of the melody. And it paints a vibrant picture of the blessed companionship of God that is yours; one that you can count on, to lead and guide you. Therefore, the psalmist’s words, as he prays, can be yours too, to say, Teach me to do Your will; for You are my God; May Your good Holy Spirit lead me on level ground. [Psalm 143:10]
God is there with you; and He leads you through His word in all of life’s circumstances, the mountains and valleys that you may face. It was why, when a great responsibility of leadership became his, God reminded Joshua, of the word that He had already spoken to him. [Joshua 1:7-9] And to meditate upon it, and confess it in faith to achieve good success that is a fulfillment of God’s purpose, was what Joshua was called to do, as he stood before the rushing waters of Jordan with the people of Israel, to cross over into the Promised Land. A good confession, And a confession of faith was what came forth from the mouth of Job, for even before his troubles came to an end, he was able to believe and therefore speak, acknowledging the truth of God being the One who can do all things, and One whose purposes can never be thwarted. [Job 42:2] And indeed, Job went on to receive the fruit of his confession, as his latter days were more glorious than the first, a two fold restoration from the hand of God.
It may have been centuries ago, but He is the unchanging God, and He is your God too. A bright future therefore is what you can believe and confess, to receive it in your life. The psalmist has declared, How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God; How vast is the sum of them. [Psalm 139:17] And, even in your life, the Lord is certainly mindful of you, to bless you, to give you a hope and a future.
The greatest blessing :
Blessing is so much more precious than merely the material. For, to know God, and to be known by Him is the greatest blessing. He has said to you, in His word, that you are a child of God as you receive and believe in the Name of Jesus. [John 1:12] And knowing Him, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent into the world is eternal life. [John 17:3] The sovereign God has also expressed the sheer impossibility of Him forgetting you, to establish the beautiful truth of you being known by Him , Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb; Surely they may forget you; yet I will not forget you. [Isaiah 49:15] He knows you; He knows every child of His, to also bless them.
Thus it is the cup of blessing that you partake of, at the Lord’s Table, to be in fellowship with God, through His Son Jesus Christ. It is a symbol of the truth that you are related in Christ to the Almighty God, Therefore, He is interested in everything that happens yo you, to reign, rule or overrule in you and in all your circumstances, good or bad. And you can indeed know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. [Romans 8:28]
Overlooking an insult :
In fact the very fact that you have been called, signifies a blessing. You have been called to inherit a blessing, is how the apostle Peter has made it clear in God’s word. He also states the responsibility that comes with it, Not repaying evil for evil, or insult for insult, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. [1 Peter 3:9] It is so very true that the world around you is becoming more and more evil, bringing as a result of it insult and reproach on you, that you do not deserve. And though tempting it may be to retaliate in a similar fashion, when someone intentionally hurts you, it is not the solution. For it will only go on to become a never ending vicious cycle that gets bigger and bigger.
But, you have been called to inherit a blessing; and tough as it may appear, it is focusing on this promise of God to you, instead of on the insult that will do good to you. And, it is possible also, though not in your own strength, but through Christ in you, who strengthens you. Do not allow a tiny ripple to become a huge wave therefore, but cast all your care on Him, when the workers of iniquity, rise up to harm you without any rhyme or reason. The prudent man overlooks an insult, declares the word of God, instructing and guiding you to inherit the blessing of God, to which you have been called.
Called and blessed – your inheritance :
‘Look to Abraham your father, and Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, and blessed him and increased him’. [Isaiah 51:2] It was the path to blessing established by the Almighty God in the life of Abraham. And being the generation of faith of Abraham, today it is also the way in which blessing of God flows into your life also, for it is the same God who has called you. Therefore, before blessing you, He calls you. And looking to Abraham, you can also see that he was blessed by God in all things, and in every way. It goes to say that having material possessions, is definitely not bad at all. But it needs to be only a part of your life, and not your life. For, the Lord being your life, and the length of your days, is how you have been created and fashioned to be, by the Creator, the Maker of heaven and earth.
A holy calling :
He who has saved us and called us, with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus, before time began. [2 Timothy 1:9] God has called you, to bless you, as He did with Abraham, and it is a holy calling. Therefore, holiness is a blessing of God. And making it merely about attire is a view tainted by culture. For, the Bible gives clarity regarding what true holiness is, in saying that you are holy, because you have been called by a God, who is holy or in other words, anything that a holy God has separated for Himself, is holy. And it follows from it, that the opposite of holiness is commonness, or ordinary, while holiness is being special, for the holy God has called you, separated you to be His very own. Thus when the positional aspect of holiness is well understood, the practical outworking of it becomes possible, in His strength and power. Also, what can you or I, do in our own strength to make ourselves holy in the eyes of a Holy God, that He may choose us ?
Chosen by God – before time began :
It is to attend a job interview that you can prepare yourself, and check whether you fulfill the necessary criteria. But, you were chosen by God, even before the foundation of the world; a truth that is truly mind boggling, and also immeasurably humbling. God chose you, even before you were formed in your mother’s womb. In fact, you were born, because you were chosen by God ! And now, He has good plans concerning you, according to His purpose, all because you have been called by Him. Therefore, let not the evil and insults with which people attack you, disturb and discourage you. There may be no clear cut reason for the evil that has been done to you, why people have acted the way they did, but you have a gentle Savior; a Risen Redeemer.
The Cross was the deadly and most cruel invention of man, made for the sole purpose of inflicting pain and shame for days on end upon another human being. The evil intention of it can in no way be justified. But in the midst of it, piercing through the dominion of darkness, comes to you the light of the blessing of God, which is His call upon your life. You have been chosen by Him, and so you are someone special. And the nature of your specialty, is what the apostle Peter describes, to say ,But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. [1 Peter 2:9]
In a royal family :
When God calls you, you are a chosen person. You are related to God, and so belong to a royal family, to be a holy nation. You are not ordinary or common, but special, is the truth of the scriptures that can see your spine straightened, to walk regally and yet humbly. For, you are not part of the crowd, but belong to the Family of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. And your attire and speech needs to reflect it even as you gather to worship as special people, to be in your finest and best behavior, even in your workplace. When in Rome, be a Roman could be what the world says, but it is not so when you are related to the God of heaven and earth. For, it is He who dwells with you, in your home. And it is He, the King of Kings who walks with you and talks with you, calling you His very own.
You are no longer ordinary and common, but marked with the stamp of royal dominion, through the position invested upon you by the Holy God, who has with a holy calling, chosen you. Called – from looking for donkeys, to, dominion! From the ordinary to the special. It was how the life of Saul was transformed, to become the Lord’s anointed, and the first king of His chosen people of Israel. [1 Samuel 9:16-19] And but for God’s call, his life would have remained ordinary, continuing in his search for his father’s lost donkeys!.
The call :
But the Lord intervened, through the prophet Samuel, to counsel Saul. And he had to forget about the donkeys, in order to receive the dominion that was God’s call upon him, ‘But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you, and on all your father’s house?’. [vs 20] Even in your life, you may have lost what should have been yours, and may be continually dwelling upon it. It is normal and natural, but the Almighty God is saying to you this day, that as you turn your eyes to focus upon Him, He is going to compensate as only He can; with something immeasurably higher and greater.
Saul, even as all the Benjamites did, considered his father’s house to be the least and therefore insignificant. [vs 21] It could be the same even with you. But God has called you, because He loves you; loves you with an everlasting love.
The promotion from the Father :
It was all because of God’s pure unmerited favor upon him that Saul, though an ordinary man was invited to a spacious place. [vs 22] And it was the plan of the Sovereign Lord, His purpose that can never be thwarted. His plan began with Adam, and will find its majestic fulfillment in what has been gloriously described in the book of revelation. Saul was given the top place at the table that had already been set. And, it can be so well pictured in our redemption story. You and I were lost in sin’s miry clay, when the Savior intervened to pick us up, to wash us in His precious Blood, that cleansed us of all unrighteousness, and having been made righteous in Him, we are seated this day, together with Him in the heavenly realms.
The transformation :
And, seated in a place of honor, Saul went on to hear the prophet Samuel say, ‘Here it is, what was kept back; it was set apart for you. Eat, for until this time it has been kept for you’. And so Saul ate with Samuel that day. [vs 24] May the call of Saul, resonate in your heart this day, to speak the calling and choosing of God on you, and in your life, to be a part of a royal family, as a child of the King of kings and Lord of lords. And it is a truly holy calling, even as it evolved in the life of Saul. For, in keeping with what Samuel had prophesied, the Holy Spirit came upon Saul, to bring about a miraculous transformation, to walk in God’s call and purpose for his life. [1 Samuel 10:6]
Grace takes you from where you are, to where God wants you to be. And just as Saul was, you too have been called, chosen by a Holy God, in whose Spirit’s power you will be led forward. And, step by step, it will see you being lifted up to fulfill His glorious purpose and plan for your life. As you give thanks unto the Father, therefore, for Him having called you, may your mind be renewed by the Holy Spirit, by His anointing upon you, that it may reflect in a life that is transformed, for the glory and honor of His Name.
In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
