Sunday, October 16, 2011

God Marks You As His

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.” -- John 15:16

Have you ever felt God calling you to do something? You could feel the Holy Spirit telling you to do it just as though someone was standing right there and talking to you. It might have been something you didn’t want to do. It might have been something that just seemed so outrageous that you almost couldn’t believe it. Except you heard it.

Two or three years ago I heard God telling me to become a vision partner for my local contemporary Christian radio station. I shrugged it off. I was going through a really bad time financially and it just seemed ridiculous. The economy was awful and I could only see things getting worse.

Six months later they were having another fundraiser and I heard that voice again. I tried to ignore it but that voice just kept getting louder and louder. I argued with God. How could I afford another monthly payment when I could barely meet the commitments I already had?

God doesn’t give up. You know that right? I argued. He persisted. I finally threw up my hands, put down my paintbrush and made the call. I committed money I didn’t have because God told me to. And I told Him that I was holding Him responsible for making sure I had the money each month. I think I heard Him laugh.

I’ve never missed a payment. In fact, that year was one of the best year’s I’ve had financially since I started this hodgepodge work situation I’m in right now. He’s responsible for that too but that’s another story entirely. I did what God told me to. I took a step out in faith. And God did what He said He would do. He provided what I needed every single month.

We like to think our lives are all about choices. And maybe they are. But when God puts His hand on you, when He calls you to do something, He doesn’t back down just because you don’t see His vision. When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are adopted into the family of God. We are marked as His child. He never gives up on us, something I’ve been so thankful for more times than I care to admit.

God chose me to be His child. Jesus died for me. I owe Him more than I could ever repay. So when God taps me on the shoulder and tells me to do something, I need to do it. So do you. We might not see it but God has a plan. He knows what He’s doing. And God will never, ever call us to do something without giving us the means to do it. A lesson I learned -- again -- not too long ago.