OUR LORD WHO CALLS US

The Lord our God called the young Samuel in the night by his name. Samuel ran to the high priest, Eli, thinking that the call came from him. The story is told this way in 1 Samuel chapter 3 ;

The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Sam,llppuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Eli told Samuel that he did not call him and to return to his bed but after two more instances of Samuel running to Eli, he caught on to what was  happening and so Eli told Samuel to respond as to God because it was the Lord calling him. The passage continues this way;

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

This instructive passage models the way the Lord calls His people and how we can respond to God when the call comes to us. We can first recognize who is calling us and then be prepared to listen to Him.

The Lord Jesus calls us to belong to Him as it is  related in Roman's 1 verse 6. From among all people on earth including gentiles, the Lord calls us to Himself.

Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Our calling is a call to a purpose and role. The Lord has specific functions for which we are designed and when we are called, we are matriculating into line of kingdom commissions for which we were created to the glory of our Lord Jesus.

In Roman's 8 verse 28, we then understand that what we are called to is the central driving force of what our lives in the spirit will consist of. The Lord will align circumstances around us in order to turn all things to our advantage in the service of our calling in Him. The passage says it this way:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The calling of God is a highly significant centerpiece of our lives in the spirit with eternal ramifications.

This is why apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 1 verse 10, says;

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,

Bless the Lord our God.

Amen