I will give you the treasures of darkness, And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. Isaiah 45:3
Has the Lord called your name recently?
Through the years, often the underlying issue in my conversations with others has been the person’s calling. They ask me questions to learn, understand, or refine their purpose.
How tragic to live without calling, to get to our deathbed with regrets about how we spent our days. God is calling your name. Why do millions take the Enneagram Test? I believe because of a God-inherent desire to know our type, who we are, and living with purpose.
The Bible teaches calling. God calls you. Taking the Enneagram 10 times might be helpful, but God has a better plan. He calls you by name. Have you heard God calling recently?
Early in my life, I didn’t listen for God’s voice because I was too concerned about what my friends thought of me. Beginning my ministry, marriage, and family (all at the same time), I was glad that I already had my calling! Most are too busy to listen. Now I listen to older saints – often transitioning from success – to what?
Have you heard God calling your name? How do you hear Him calling your name?
Listen for a voice that begins with your name. What are you saying? Will God speak to me saying, “Grant, I want you to be a good steward of the teaching content that I have given to you”?
Yes, I heard the voice while having devotions on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in March 2020.
Ask God to call you by name. (If you hear Him start with “Grant…” please write it down and e-mail it to me.)
We need to hear God’s voice at differing times in our lives because calling changes through the years. In 1972, God told me to reach the young people of my community. Several years later, a mentor looked at me and said, “You should marry Barbara” (God’s voice through another).
I’m glad I listened to God calling my name – especially concerning my wife.
Jesus said:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27
Listen this week.
Be willing to act in opposition to peer pressure in your life. Commit to not follow the crowd into a snowbird existence. Your friends may agree, and perhaps you will move to Florida, but only if God calls your name.
If you don’t hear God call your name soon, the problem isn’t with God speaking but with you listening. Ask God to speak louder. His desire for you to walk in His calling is always greater than your willingness.
The point?
God will call your name. Listen and obey. As Isaiah says, hearing God call your name reveals treasures from darkness and wealth from secret places.
Wow. Calling fulfilled.