Fasting + “A Distant Call”
A Distant Call.
I have been thinking about “moments of calling.” God gave Joseph two dreams. Those were moments. Samuel poured the oil over David’s head one time. It was a moment of anointing. Noah had a moment where “God said unto” him, and he worked for years based on what he’d heard. Abraham had a moment where “the Lord had said unto Abraham,” and a promise was made. He uprooted 75 years of life and ventured into the unknown based on that one moment. The promise would be reiterated to him, but only in five subsequent moments over the next 25 years. Simon, Andrew, James, John, Matthew, and Phillip all had a moment when they heard the voice of Jesus say “Follow Me.” Saul, turned Paul, had one road of Damascus moment.
The simple fact is, that often callings and dreams are issued in a moment, and they are only issued to you. Real callings and real dreams will certainly undergo real tests. What is commissioned in a moment, may be tested for years. It will be tried repeatedly and only confirmed very infrequently. It’s almost as if God asks, “Will you pursue Me and prepare for a calling that is now only a distant memory?” That moment of calling was a long time ago, and a lot has transpired between then and now. “Do you still take me at My word?” “Do you still believe me to fulfill a very distant dream?” “Do you trust Me to make way for a call from a long time ago?”
The call? The dream? The vision? Given in a moment…and certainly tested by the passage of time. More than likely, the moment will be a hazy memory before it comes to fruition. But for the one to whom the call was given, that memory must be clutched tightly. The memory of that moment is so closely personal, and must be held with a tight-fisted, white-knuckled grasp. Remembering that moment becomes fuel to endure all the subsequent moments on the path to the fulfillment of a call.
Remember the oil, David. Remember the sheaves and stars, Joseph. Remember the blueprint, Noah. Remember the “word from the Lord,” Abraham, Peter, John. Let the sound of “follow Me” ring in your ears. Remember the Damascus road encounter, Paul.
Remember the moment of a call.
Thank you for joining me for this journey! Go grab your Bible and your journal!