Calling
Ex 3:4
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."
The first move was up to Moses. God was at work in the bush, but He gave Moses the option of walking away, staying where he was, or approaching the bush so that he could hear and respond. Once Moses made his move, then God called his name . . . twice.
Moses responded with the answer of Abraham, the answer of Jacob, the answer of Isaac, and the answer of Joseph, “Here I am.” When God called, each of them responded . . . immediately! They didn’t wonder who had called. There was no confusion or indecision about the caller . . . or who was being called. “You talkin’ to me?” was not their first response. None of them ran and hid from what must have been an awesome sound . . . maybe even a fearful sound . . . the God of the Universe calling their name.
Our world . . . our culture . . . thrives on the creation of indecision. There is no black and white, there is no right and wrong, there is no truth or lie . . . or at least that’s what the world would like us to believe. “Can’t we all just get along?” has replaced the Word of God as the guide for our actions. The world does not want us to see God at work around us any more than it wants us to be able to answer when He calls. The world wants us to doubt our judgment, to question our motivation, and to cower with indecision when God confronts us with this same call and calling.
There was no such indecision from these Biblical leaders. Was their world any less conflicted than ours? Were there not the same forces at work on their confidence as we now face every day? Oh, we might want to let ourselves off the hook by pointing out how different our lives are than Moses’, but wasn’t Satan just as capable then as now? Can we not be just as sure of our call and calling as they were of theirs?
Their common and boldly confident answer was, “Here I am. I am with you, Lord. I am waiting for Your direction, for Your Word.” At this moment . . . the moment of calling . . . nothing else mattered. Nothing in the world dissuaded them from their faith. Neither their job, their family, their church, their position in the community, their accomplishments, their friends, their wealth, nor even their freedom came to mind. No, they simply responded . . . overwhelmed with anticipation of what God might ask them to do. “Here I am, indeed.”
God called Moses by name. God has called you and me by name. He has called us to be His children for all eternity through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has come to dwell within us through our baptism, equipping us to not only recognize Him at work, but also to hear His calling . . . His work . . . for us. And then, in spite of our human tendencies and judgments, He gives us the motivation and ability to answer in the same way as Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Joseph, and Moses . . . “Here I am!” “Here I am, Lord. Send me!”