We think we know who we are, and what we are called to do, but what if we haven’t even scratched the surface yet? What if the vision that God has given us is just the beginning? I just want to take a moment and ponder on that thought. Our God is great beyond what we can imagine, and scripture tells us that we can’t even comprehend His thoughts and ways. So how can we ever think that we have anything figured out? How can we say that we know the plan, and how to accomplish it? The truth is, that at any moment, God can turn our worlds upside down. At any moment, He can speak new purpose—a new mission—into our lives. In fact, this is a theme throughout scripture. Over and over again, God interrupted lives. He approached ordinary people, and called them to something more…something that they could have never imagined for themselves. There are so many examples in the bible that I could use, but one of my favorites is the story of Elisha being called. His story is so interesting to me, because according to scripture, he was just going about his business, plowing the field, when everything changed.
Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. (1 Kings 19:16 NLT)
So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!” Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.” So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant. (1 Kings 19:19-21 NLT)
One moment Elisha was in the fields, and the next moment, he is appointed to replace a great prophet. There is no doubt that this news turned Elisha’s world upside down. He probably grew up thinking that he would follow in the footsteps of his father, but little did he know, God planned for him to be known for parting the Jordan River, raising a boy from the dead, healing disease, and many other miracles.
This is what I want to show us about our lives. Maybe we have an inkling of what God wants to do through us. But that…is only a taste of God’s plan. It is only what God has decided to reveal to us thus far.
God’s plan is ever unraveling.
In Elisha’s story, he was called to replace Elijah, but did he step into that role immediately? No. According to scripture, Elisha first became Elijah’s assistant. This means that he probably spent years knowing that God had called him to something great…but he had no idea what that would consist of…that he would eventually receive a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. The legacy that Elisha left on the earth…his faith and miracles that we still talk about today, are the result of his dedication to walk the path that God set before him…and he was transformed along the way.
Walking in purpose requires transformation.
This week I was studying the book of 1 Samuel, when I came across the story of God calling Saul to be Israel’s first king. In chapter 9, we read that Saul was just a regular man—a shepherd, the son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin. One day, Kish’s donkeys strayed away, so he sent Saul and a servant after them.
One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.” So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere. (1 Samuel 9:3-4 NLT)
Since they were unable to find the donkeys, the servant suggested that they go to see Samuel, the seer (prophet), in hopes that he could tell them where to find them. But something unexpected happened. During this trip, Saul’s life was changed forever.
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.” Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, “Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?” “I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.” (1 Samuel 9:17-20 NLT)
One moment Saul is taking care of his father’s herd, and the next moment, he is the focus of all of Israel’s hopes. Imagine how Saul felt. He never thought that he would be anything more than who he already was. His view of himself was limited by what he had already seen…by what had been possible for those around him. But little did he know, God had a plan that was far beyond anything that he could ever dream or imagine.
Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21 NLT)
Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession. (1 Samuel 10:1 NLT)
Just like that, Saul was anointed the King of Israel. But, I want to slow down in the story for a moment. Because as I studied this week, I saw something that I have never seen before. Let’s read a portion of the instructions that Samuel gave to Saul, following his anointing.
“When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you. (1 Samuel 10:5-7 NLT)
Samuel tells Saul that he is now Israel’s first king, and that he must do what God has called him to do, because the Lord is with Him. But, I want us to pay close attention to what Samuel said must happen first. He tells Saul that on his way back home, he will encounter a group of worshipers, and that the Spirit of the Lord will come upon him, and he will begin to prophesy. And then, he tells Saul that after these signs take place, he “…will be changed into a different person.”
This, is where I paused, because every other time that I have read this story in the past, I saw that Saul was anointed, and I saw that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he prophesied. And then, I saw that he stepped into his role as king, but I brushed past the details that occurred in the middle…that he was changed into a different person. And then, as I continued to read, another scripture stood out to me like never before.
As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. (1 Samuel 10:9 NLT)
Saul did not step into his role as king without going through a process first. Yes, God gave him a new purpose, but before he could walk in that purpose, he had to wait for his new nature—to be transformed into a person that could carry out that purpose.
As I was reading through this story, the Holy Spirit highlighted these details for me. He showed me that while we are called, and we have been given instruction from God, many of us skip past that period of being transformed—this period of being empowered to do what God has called us to do.
Being appointed by God is not the same thing as being empowered by God.
This is what I have learned through Saul’s story. Because according to Samuel’s instructions, Saul need more than a title. He needed to be equipped—empowered, before he could step into the role that he had been given. Saul needed a new heart…the heart of God. He needed a new nature…to be transformed by the renewing of his mind. God didn’t want Saul to reign as king in his humanity. He wanted Saul to be a vessel…a king that would reign under the authority of God.
For a second, I just want to explore the idea of what would have happened if Saul had not followed Samuel’s instructions. What if Saul would have gone home a different way? What if instead of stopping, he chose to walk right passed the worshipers? And what if as a result, he was never transformed? Do you think that he would have been equipped—empowered—to step into his role as the king of Israel? Lucky for us, we don’t have to guess.
In 1 Samuel 13, we see an example, in Saul’s own life, of what happens when we choose not to follow God’s instructions. In this story, Saul is about to lead the Israelite soldiers into battle, but Samuel instructions Saul to first wait for him to arrive, so that he could sacrifice the burnt offering in the presence of God. But Saul became antsy and afraid. He saw that his enemy was ready for battle, and he feared that Samuel would not arrive in time, so he decided to offer the burnt offering himself.
Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?” Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.” “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (1 Samuel 13:10-14 NLT)
The purpose of the burnt offering was to seek God’s help. Saul knew that without the power of God he had no chance of defeating his enemy. It didn’t matter that he had been anointed king…he knew that he wasn’t good enough, or strong enough. This is why he disobeyed. But what he didn’t understand is that the empowerment of God wasn’t attached to the sacrifice, it was attached to his obedience. We see proof of this in 1 Samuel 15.
But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23 NLT)
We are empowered to walk in purpose only when we obey God’s instructions.
Saul’s disobedience cost him his purpose, so we must see how important it is for us to follow the instructions that God gives us. Most of the time we won’t understand why, but we can be certain that there is a reason, and we can be certain that the reason is for our benefit—to transform us, so that we can be equipped to do what He has called us to do. We must remember that we can’t do what God has called us to do without him. We are just regular people, with our own problems and limitations. We have been called, but we must also be empowered.
We don’t have the ability to walk in purpose without being empowered by God.
There is just one more story that I want to share with you, and that story is in the book of Acts. In this story, right before Jesus ascends to heaven, He gives the disciples a charge. He tells them that they will be His witnesses to the ends of the earth…this is there calling…this is there assignment, but, He tells them that they can’t leave just yet…they must first wait to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts of the Apostles 1:4-8 NLT)
These are the disciples. They have been walking closely with Jesus throughout his ministry. Surely, they would be equipped to do what He instructs them to do. But according to Jesus’s instructions, they are not. They might have been equipped thus far, but they are not yet equipped to take on this new assignment that He has given them.
We must be empowered continually.
It’s not enough for God to empower us once. We need to be empowered for each assignment that He gives us. We will never be at a place where we have received everything that God has for us…He always has more. There is always more for us to learn. There is always more that He wants to transform in us. There is always more of an anointing that He wants to give us. And it all happens according to His timing. We can’t force the timing of God; we’ve learned this through King Saul’s story . We must be willing to wait for God to give us what we need, before we do what He has called us to do.
The power doesn’t rest in us; it rests in His Spirit.
We can’t imagine the things that God has planned for us. His plan is far beyond our wildest dream. His plan is far beyond what we are capable of achieving, but the good news is that we aren’t responsible for achieving anything, when it comes to walking according to the purpose that God has set before us. Our job is waiting on Him. Our job is being obedient to Him. When we do this, we are transformed…we are given a new heart…we become a different person. And when we continually sit at His feet, when we continually wait on Him…when we continually obey His instructions, we are empowered over and over again. He gives us the ability to do the impossible. He gives us the ability to move the mountains that are in our way. He gives us the ability to be who He has called us to be…a vessel, in the hands of the potter. He is a God that takes shepherds and crowns them king. He is a God that takes fishermen and tax collectors, and gives them the ability to be His voice…His messengers…the writers of the words that are alive and active to this day. This is what happened when we walk with Him. This is what will happen in your life, if you will allow Him. So turn to Him today; give Him your life, and watch Him use it.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me, knowing that I would not always choose you. Thank you for the amazing plan that you have for my life, and for using everything, good and bad, to further that plan. You are so amazing Father. You are great beyond anything that I can comprehend. Thank you for reminding me today that the plans that you have for me are still unfolding, and thank you for reminding me that you will equip me to do everything that you have called me to do. I declare that I will not be afraid, because you are with me. I will not be discouraged, because you are by God. I know that as I continue to follow you, and obey your instructions, you will empower me to do the impossible. Nothing will be impossible for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Comments