For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God (Romans 8:14, NLT).
There is no greater adventure than following the leading of God’s Spirit — but there are both trials and blessings involved.
With adventure, there is a price and a reward. Let’s consider four heroes of Biblical adventure — Moses, David, Paul, and Peter.
God spoke to Moses through a burning bush. God called David as king through the judge and prophet Samuel. Jesus spoke to Saul (later Paul) through a blinding light on the road to Damascus. And Jesus called Peter to become a fisher of men.
Okay, I’m going to insert myself and my calling into this discussion. Why don’t you do the same?
After I became a Christian on New Year’s Eve 1971/1972 at Daytona Beach in Florida, I traveled back to Springfield, Ohio, where I shared the testimony of my conversion and 16 young people accepted Jesus.
Not a burning bush, a prophet, a bright light, or Jesus personally speaking to me — but just as dramatic (at least for me!).
Trials
Moses … confronted Pharoah, constantly struggled with a nation whom God Himself called “stiff-necked” (Exodus 32:9), and was eventually banned from entering the Promised Land himself because of his pride.
David … After Samuel anointed David as King, it was 14 years after this calling before he became king. During that time, with Saul pursuing him, David constantly fled for his life. Even when opportunities availed for David to take Saul’s life and hurry his kingship along — David refused the temptation.
Paul … HHHHMMMHHM, what can you say? He was constantly persecuted and harassed, beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, given a thorn in the flesh by Satan, and eventually martyred for the faith.
Peter … About the same for Peter as the Apostle Paul. He was ridiculed, imprisoned multiple times, misunderstood, denied Jesus, and forgiven by Jesus. Tradition describes Peter being crucified upside down because he didn’t consider himself worthy to suffer the exact death as Jesus.
Blessings
Moses … Scripture calls Moses the greatest prophet (Deuteronomy 34:10-12). He delivered the Ten Commandments and established the Israelites as the precursor nation for both the first and second comings of Jesus.
David … Jesus was born in the lineage of David. And any believer from the time of David until today has been blessed by the psalms that he composed.
Paul … Probably the most influential man in history next to Jesus. His writings have impacted church doctrine, government politics, and culture more than any other author.
Peter … His confession was the rock upon which the church was founded. He preached the first sermon, and his name has been woven throughout church ecclesiology since the Book of Acts.
You and Me
Only God knows the ultimate impact of our lives. The Book of James teaches that our trials create a perfection (God’s will exemplified) that will be woven into the fiber of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven.
We will rejoice in God’s ultimate goals of our trials on earth when we see Him on the throne.
And Moses, David, Paul, Peter, Pastor Grant, and you will glorify our Father forever!