Glory Seed Devotional’s, 2017: Anticipating and Experiencing God...
A special message from James Ryle…
Shalom!
September 22
There is A Calling On Your Life
“Called by God.” (Heb_5:4 KJV)
I was invited to speak at a historic church in the North East, a church that was facing a defining moment in their long history. I realized that showing up and simply preaching a sermon would not be the thing to do – they were desperately needing a word from God, and they were fully expecting me to bring it. I could sense what the Lord was stirring me to say, and on the plane ride to my destination I took a napkin and wrote down these words.
“There is a calling on your life; a purpose that God has assigned to you. Thus, you can make a difference. However, this calling is not uncontested. To answer it one must be ready to contend for it against challenges great and plenty. The key will be in keeping your heart open and responsive to God. In the end a great work will have been wrought, and a lasting legacy endowed with the grace of God. Shudder, therefore, at the thought of saying no.”
Sunday arrived I preached a message about answering the call of God upon our lives, and during the sermon I took out the napkin and read what I had written to the congregation. It was a dramatic moment. I could tell immediately that the Lord was speaking to many.
Perhaps He is speaking to you even now.
There is a call of God upon your life; a purpose He has for you; an assignment for which you are uniquely suited. Your life matters. You can make a difference in some way that counts. There are no inconsequential people – and certainly this is true of you. History is upon us now in its full measure, and the time has never been more certain than now for men and women to answer the call and deliver the goods.
However, you must know that there is an enemy engaged in war against your soul. The call on your life, and you answering it, pose a great threat to this enemy. Thus, he will oppose you in every way – seen and unseen; subtle and spectacular – so as to turn you from your call, deter you from your cause, and diminish your life’s effectiveness and potential. Do not cooperate with him! Fight the good fight to become the man and woman God created you to be, to fulfill the purpose for which you were born, to achieve the goal toward which you press. Submit yourself to God and He will exalt you. Resist the devil, and he will flee!
Open your heart to God and let Him fill it with His Spirit. He will give you the desire to go the distance once you decide to do so. He will honor your dedication by granting you success day by day — here a little, there a little — until at length a great work will have been achieved in you and through you for others. He will garner your determination with His supply of strength, so that no weapon formed against you will prosper, no lie spoken against you will prevail, no bandit sent to rob you will succeed, and no word or work you do will fall ineffective to the ground. You will triumph as He takes hold of your hand and secures your labors in His Name.
Even now as you read these words the Lord makes this offer to you.
“Here am I, Lord; send me!” This was how Isaiah responded. Won’t you follow his example and do the same? After all — there is a calling on your life.
Note: Used with permission of the wife of James Ryle. For more Rylism’s click on the following link: http://www.truthworks.org/category/rylisms/
“May God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favor on us.” **
Grace and PEACE,
Gary
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“Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.”
**Psalm 67:1, New Living Translation
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