Showing posts with label how can I know God's calling me?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how can I know God's calling me?. Show all posts

Sunday

If You Suspect God Is Calling You -- 7 Ways to Know, Part II

It’s undeniable—that gentle (or not-so-gentle) tug on your heart. You think God might be calling you to do something, but you’re not sure. How can you be certain it’s God calling you and not one of your own crazy ideas?

In my last blog post, I shared four signs God is calling you, based on Moses' experience in Exodus 2-3. If you missed that post, click here to read "7 Signs God Is Calling You, Part I."

Today I'd like to share three more signs God is calling you:

5. God will provide what you need.


Moses was concerned that Pharaoh and the Israelites wouldn’t believe God had sent him. In response to his concern, God gave him what he needed to accomplish his mission—his rod—and instructions in how to use it.

One year I sensed God was calling me to attend a writers conference. It was expensive and would involve rescheduling two days of patients and losing two days of income.

Shortly after I began to pray about it, my coworker asked me if I could work two extra days for her. Guess when? The week before the writers conference.

“And if you’d like me to work for you so you can have a few days off, I’d be glad to,” she said. Her offer enabled me to take the next week off without having to reschedule any of my patients.
 
Well Lord, you’ve removed two of three obstacles preventing me from attending the conference. The only problem that remains is the $800 conference fee.

Shortly after I prayed, I received an unexpected check—for $800. God had shown me clearly that I was to attend the writers conference.


6. God will bring others along to help you.

God called Moses to a monumental task—to face the leader of one of the most powerful nations on earth and demand the release of more than a million people. I'm not surprised that he doubted his ability. Even after God gave him a healthy pep talk, Moses continued to protest. God graciously dealt with his lack of faith by sending his brother Aaron to help him.

"I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do,” God said (Ex. 4:15).

It’s noteworthy that after the first encounter with Pharaoh, Moses no longer needed to hide behind his older brother. He became a bold, powerful orator who faithfully championed the cause of his fellow Israelites.

Our family mission trip is a perfect example of how God brought others alongside us to make up for what we were lacking. 

My husband and I felt comfortable teaching and leading Bible studies, but when the missionaries with whom we’d be ministering asked if our team could make some home repairs, we knew we were out of our league. Our coworker, Mike, however, was especially handy with tools. His wife, Mandy, has the gift of organization, and together we were able to preach, teach, and give our missionary friends’ kitchen a much-needed face lift.

7. God will reassure you about (but not remove) your inadequacies.


Moses was scared to death. He felt woefully unprepared for the monumental task God was calling him to. He was a poor speaker, and he lacked self-confidence. God, however, made it perfectly clear that his power would be behind Moses’ calling.

"Who gave man his mouth?” God said. “Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say" (Ex. 4:11-12).

When God calls us to do something for him, he seldom waits until we’re polished and perfect. If he did, we’d be tempted to trust in our own abilities instead of seeking his power and enabling. The apostle Paul explained it this way,

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:7).

On our mission trip, we were asked to counsel couples struggling with marital challenges. My husband and I felt woefully inadequate, but we stepped out in faith, asking God to speak through us. During one of our sessions, a man and his wife committed their lives to Christ. Today, seven years later, they are still together and serving God in their local church. We are amazed at how God didn’t remove our inadequacies, he worked in spite of them.

I hope this list of ways God confirms his calling will help you the next time you sense him speaking to you. It isn’t all-inclusive, nor are you likely to experience all seven. It does, however, attempt to explain the gracious way God reveals his will and then confirms it.

If you sense God calling you to do something, I encourage you to claim the promise of Jeremiah 29:13:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Prayer: Father, I don’t know what your will for me is, but I believe you will make it clear. Help me step out in faith and obedience, knowing that you will walk with me every step of the way. Use me for your glory, Amen.

 Now it’s your turn. How have you seen God confirm what you suspected he was calling you to do? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.




Does Your Faith Need Refreshing?

That's in the Bible? I've never noticed that before!

It's probably been too long since you've newly discovered a story that speaks to your soul or a verse that pops with truth. But that's about to change!



Refresh Your Faith contains 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions, one from each book of the Bible. Each real-life story spotlights an unusual verse or Bible passage that you may have overlooked in your usual Bible reading. Lori Hatcher challenges you with additional features like an uncommon thought to ponder; an unusual faith action step; and an unfamiliar passage suggestion for additional Bible reading.

When the fabulous has become familiar and your quiet times are more like nap times, it's time to step out of spiritual boredom and ignite the spark that will keep you growing. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Lori's conversational and engaging style will challenge you to think about things you've never thought about before.

“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman, commenting on Lori Hatcher's devotional style




Are you hungry for God, but starving for time? 
I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord. 

Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.

Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive. 

Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.


Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.



Wednesday

If You Suspect God Is Calling You -- 7 Ways to Know (Part 1)

It’s undeniable—that gentle (or not-so-gentle) tug on your heart. You think God might be calling you to do something, but you’re not sure. How can you be certain it’s really God calling you and not one of your own crazy ideas?

It’s a mysterious thing, this faith life. It doesn’t come with specific instructions, yet believers down through the ages have followed God with confidence and faith. Unlike Food Network’s step-by-step instructions for how to make lasagna, God’s direction is usually a little less straightforward.

The Bible does, however, provide classic examples of how God reveals his will to his followers. We can learn from the historic exchanges on the pages of Scripture and apply the principles to our own lives. Because of this, we can obey God with the same faith and confidence that guided the biblical heroes of the faith.

Moses’ historic “Burning Bush” experience of Exodus 3 and 4 is a great example of how God reveals his will to his people. And while most of us are unlikely to have a literal burning bush appear in front of us, if we take the pyrotechnic element out of the picture, we can still find much guidance from Moses’ encounter with God.

Here are seven signs of God’s direction, four today, and three in the next post:



1. God will get your attention in a significant way. 

He used a burning bush to catch Moses’ eye, but he may get yours in an equally noteworthy but less flammable way. Maybe you attend a concert and the artist shares a story about sex trafficking. The statistics shock you, and you’ve thought of little else since. Maybe you read an article about how local schools are struggling to find readers for their at risk students, and you’re wondering if you’re supposed to volunteer. Or maybe you’ve noticed your pastor’s wife seems overwhelmed and discouraged, and you feel moved to help. Whatever method God uses, he will get your attention.

2. God will often repeat himself. 

In Moses’ case, God repeated himself by calling Moses' name twice from the bush. Your call probably won’t be audible, but the sense that God is speaking to you will usually return again and again. I’ve heard it said that being convicted by the Holy Spirit is like being nibbled to death by a duck, and I agree—it’s relentless.

When my husband and I began to sense God was calling us to take a family mission trip, the idea just wouldn’t go away. Shortly after we began talking about it, we received a letter from missionary friends in Mexico describing how one of their supporting families had just spent a week ministering with them. The experience was so positive that they wanted to invite other families to come.

A final repeating nudge came when my husband shared what we were thinking with another family, and they said they’d had a similar sense that God was calling them to do a short-term mission trip. I’m thankful God repeated his call several times in several ways, or we might have missed the opportunity for a life-changing mission experience.

3. God will assure you of his presence. 

When God called Moses to go to Egypt and announce himself as God’s appointed deliverer, Moses balked.

“Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" he asked.

“I will certainly be with you,” God said.

It's been my experience that when God calls us, he also reassures us that he will go with us. This confirmation can come in different ways. You might read a verse of Scripture that speaks perfectly into our situation. Or hear a word of promise in a Christian song, or read a Bible verse on a billboard or a bumper sticker. Your pastor may preach a message that has nothing to do with what you’re sensing, yet one of the verses will shine like a spotlight in your heart. However he chooses to do it, God will give you confidence that he will walk with you every step of the way as you obey his calling.


4. God will give you the first step.

As you seek God’s face and try to discern his will, God will reveal Step 1. For Moses, it was, “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt" (v. 10). God later laid out a series of steps for Moses to follow, but he seldom does this for us. I suspect if he did, we’d be too scared to take the first step. Instead, he usually shows us the first thing he wants us to do. Then, as we obey, he reveals the next one, and the next one, and the next one.

When I first sensed the Lord calling me to write professionally, I had no idea how to go about it. Then I received an email from a writer friend telling me about a new Christian writers group. I attended the inaugural meeting, which set into motion a series of steps that led to the publication of my first devotional book, Joy in the Journey. God didn’t show me every step that first day, but as I obeyed what he told me to do, he gave me direction for the next step.

These are four of the seven signs God is calling you. Click HERE to read the final three.

Now it's your turn. Have you ever sensed God's calling? How did you know it was really His voice? Leave a comment below and share your story.




Does Your Faith Need Refreshing?

That's in the Bible? I've never noticed that before!

It's probably been too long since you've newly discovered a story that speaks to your soul or a verse that pops with truth. But that's about to change!



Refresh Your Faith contains 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions, one from each book of the Bible. Each real-life story spotlights an unusual verse or Bible passage that you may have overlooked in your usual Bible reading. Lori Hatcher challenges you with additional features like an uncommon thought to ponder; an unusual faith action step; and an unfamiliar passage suggestion for additional Bible reading.

When the fabulous has become familiar and your quiet times are more like nap times, it's time to step out of spiritual boredom and ignite the spark that will keep you growing. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Lori's conversational and engaging style will challenge you to think about things you've never thought about before.

“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman, commenting on Lori Hatcher's devotional style




Are you hungry for God, but starving for time? 
I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord. 

Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.

Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive. 

Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.


Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.