Calls to ministry

The text below is from my devotional today. I thought it was worth sharing. 

Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, "I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up." When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain." Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, " I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. (Exodus 3:1-15 NASB)

Picture a football game with the coach of one team on the field, engaging the opposite team in gridiron battle. He is getting battered, bruised, and mangled. Where is his team? They are on the sidelines—cheering, clapping, and criticizing. Seem preposterous? Yes! Yet, that is how some churches operate. They hire a preacher to fight the ministry battle. While they watch, cheer, clap, and yes, criticize on the sidelines.

God’s game plan for the church puts everyone on the field. Every Christian is called to ministry. There are no exceptions. You don’t need a special “call.” God does choose some, like Moses, for special assignments. Moses wasn’t exactly thrilled to be sent back to Egypt. He tried to talk his way out of it with a variety of excuses. God, however, refused to take “no” for an answer.

When God gives orders, He supplies resources. He did for Moses; He will for you and me. Our mission is not solo. The promise is still, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). Whether it’s general ministry or special assignment, we can count on Him!

Author: Wil Watson