Go Where God Has Called You

Get ready. Get set. Go! That’s the way it’s been taught to us, but I will never forget what Mark Batterson said in his book “Draw the Circle”. He said it this way “GO. SET. READY.” That has really stuck with me because so often we spend years and years trying to prepare, that we never actually do anything. It’s almost as if we come up with all the excuses to not move! But God didn’t call us to be stagnant. Marshawn quoted “God doesn’t want us to be still otherwise he would have given us roots instead of feet.”

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. John 3:16

God doesn’t give us a word just to sit on it and think about whether it’s a good idea. He plants His Word in us so that we can bring glory to his Kingdom. There are souls attached to the purpose and plans he has for each and every one of us. His Word gives us the confidence we need to act on the call he has given us. The dream that is in us, isn’t put there by accident, and the one who created us knows everything about us.

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

It’s easy for us to try and present our case to God. We tell ourselves things like, “I’m not ready yet” or “Maybe once I get ____ together, I will be in a better position”. We like to wait for the coast to be clear and things to seem as if they are in order before we do what God has already told us to do. I know for me, creating this blog was one of the things that I knew I was supposed to do. But it was so easy for me to come up with excuses as to why it couldn’t be done. “Oh I have too much going on, I struggle with consistency, what if I mess up, what if no one reads it, I’m still growing, maybe next year, etc” But then I thought about all the people who God used in the Bible. Abraham believed the unbelievable, Noah prepared for what he didn’t see, Moses lead the people, even when he struggled with public speaking, Esther spoke up even though it was countercultural, and so many more. Each of Jesus’s disciples acted in faith when they decided to drop whatever they were doing and follow him.

One story that stands out the most and is very common is the story of Moses in Exodus 14. In this story God is giving instructions and guiding Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The Egyptians felt like they were going to die in the wilderness and would have rather stayed in Egypt. Moses did his best to keep the people calm but he also felt a little overpowered and outnumbered.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. Exodus 14: 15-22

Several things stood out to me as I read this. I’m sure Moses was like okay God, I’m doing the best I can, but the people complaining is starting to make me doubt as well. But the Lord’s response was simply, use what I have given you and follow the instructions I have given you and keep moving forward. God gives us instructions and it is our job to move. We may feel nervous, unequipped, our even unqualified. But God expects our obedience and delayed obedience is still disobedience.

Sometimes we allow logic to keep us stagnant, still, and stuck even though we know we have been called to more. We allow the thoughts of other’s to stop us, we wait for the approval of man to move forward, and we allow what we see to shape our view on what we should be doing. But we know that God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called. He only needs our yes and a surrendered heart to use us to accomplish his plans throughout the earth.

If you don’t do what God has called you to do, then others can’t do what they have been called to do. There is so much attached to your obedience. If Moses would have turned around and allowed the complaining of others and the fear of the unknown to hold the Israelites back, they would have never made it into the Promise land. God had given Moses exactly what he needed to rescue the people from Egypt. He used the rod (the least expected) to perform a miracle for the people. They couldn’t see how it could be done, but God promised to be with them, and he promised to lead them, and that’s exactly what he did. So yes, sometimes you won’t have all the instructions laid out and you won’t see how it is all going to come together, but we can trust God. His character and resume show a record of faithfulness.

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Hebrews 13:6

The next time the Lord tells you to move, it’s time to start moving. Don’t let your mind cause you to stay still or hold you back. There is greatness on the other side of the move.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

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