All tagged call

Service, the Call, and the Nature of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Serving God’s Call

Have you ever struggled to understand your service to God and others as it compares to the call of God itself? This morning I am contemplating these two wonderful aspects of our faith… faithful service, and God’s calling for us. You might interpret our service as being works so here are two scripture references that together link our faith and works together, one from Paul (Ephesians 2:8-9) and the other from James (James 2:26). These two passages complement each other and explain how they go hand in hand. But let’s explore what this has to do with God calling us.

Are we Busy Seeking, or Patiently Listening, For God’s Call?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Listen for God’s Call

This morning, I was awakened to the fact that I do not make the decision regarding how I will serve the Lord, no, He makes that determination. It is so tempting for us to get out of bed, say our prayers, and then, over breakfast, say cheerfully to ourselves "Let’s see, how will I serve God today!" What we should be doing is asking Him how we can do this, and then listening for His voice as Isaiah did.

Choosing God’s Will, and Enduring the Suffering Which Follows

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Suffering in our Calling

I struggled with my devotional reading this morning. The bulk of it dealt with the fact that when we answer God's call in our lives then we, or other people around us, could suffer. Have you ever considered this? Perhaps you are new to the faith and are still of the belief that answering God’s call is all about us and is always an easy choice; that any suffering it involves is ours, and ours alone. This is a false assumption.

Not All Faithful Workers Live On the Farm

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Spiritual Harvest

This morning we are reading, and considering, the words that Jesus spoke regarding praying for more people to work in God's fields, and the great commission of taking the gospel abroad. I believe that the church would do well to take this seriously, but as individuals we should pray for these things as well; especially as we are called to them ourselves… Perhaps we will find that we are praying “Lord send me.”

Receiving a Word from God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, God Calls

One Sunday morning I was taking communion, and when the woman server handed me the body of Christ she told me to wait… that she really didn't know who I was but that God had spoken to her and told her to tell me "You are an honorable man". I thanked her and she hugged me. It was an incredibly spiritual moment and I just didn’t know what to say or think, so I went home that day and searched scripture for “honorable man”, then I asked a man named Jack Hughes, who is my spiritual mentor, what this woman’s name was, and he responded that she was Pastor Linda Clark; the wife of Pastor Forman Clark, and the mother of Pastor Jay Clark. As I studied, the scripture one verse kept presenting itself to me, it was 1 Samuel 9:6, and I prayerfully mulled it over and over in my mind.

Did not our Hearts Burn?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Anointing in the Church

We can hear a pastor preach a sermon and it thrills our hearts, but we can hear the very same message delivered by another minister and it falls flat within us; why is that so? Haven’t we all experienced such a spiritual phenomenon? When we attempt to understand why this happens, what do we blame the rise and fall of that particular message to be? Was it the condition our own faith in that particular moment, or was it the Holy Spirit moving, or not moving, over the Pastor as he spoke?

Fingers in the Soil, and Weeding God’s Garden

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, God’s True Calling

When the Lord gives us a specific calling, or mission that He wants us to accomplish, how do we know it, and how do we know when it is complete? Have you ever left spiritual business unfinished because you took your eyes off of the Lord? Whether it is praying for someone each day, being a loving spouse, serving in a far off land, or simply mowing the yard of a sick neighbor; when does God call us, and when does removing us from that call become His desire? Do we hear God calling us to something different or is what we are feeling the result of our own lack of determination, or dedication?

Our Callings and the Love of Tiny Hands

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Between Callings

We are all moved to work diligently for the kingdom when we are in the middle of an active calling, but how do we spend our time after God has called us out, after a calling is complete, and we are praying for God to reinsert us into his service? Is this simply a time of rest, do we give up and put our faith on the shelf, or maybe we find ourselves unsettled, despondent, or impatient as we cry and ask for a new assignment?

Answering the Call

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Answering our Calling

God calls us suddenly, and usually without announcement, are we ready at a moment's notice, or must we make preparations before answering His call? Will we instantly reply "Here I am!" When He calls? I find it interesting that most of the great prophets and leaders of the Bible answered instantly when God called them. There is no hesitation and no consideration as to why they were being called.

Our Calling, Redemption, and Holiness

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Holy

Are we called to be Holy men and women? If we don’t believe so then what might our calling possibly be? These are two questions we should be asking ourselves this morning, and Paul is a good example we can look to as we search out their answer, and the Lord's call in our own lives. We can be called to do many things as we walk with the Lord, but none more important than to be holy.

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