At the age of 11 years old, I can distinctly remember lying in bed praying and hearing the voice of God as He called me into the ministry. It was a moment that would forever change my mindset regarding my destiny in life. No matter what choices I've made in life, whether good or bad, I've always circled back to that moment when I said yes to Jesus.
Since that day, my life has been a journey filled with good choices and bad choices. I've had certain successes and multiple failures. Even in the past year, I believed my personal struggles somehow disqualified me from the call and I secretly hoped that God had changed His mind. You see, with the calling comes certain responsibilities and personal expectations of who I am to be. It has seemed impossible for me to live up to it all.
I've dealt with guilt and shame because of my many failures in life. My marital failures, sexual sins, substance abuse, and so many other bad choices attempt to haunt me and assure me that I'm better off remaining hidden away, keeping my mouth shut and most certainly not even bother telling a soul about the good news of Jesus Christ.
Jesus, however, continues knocking at the door of my heart. The Holy Spirit won't leave me alone. That night many years ago, when I heard the voice of God, remains etched in my memories. I realize that there is no genuine joy or sense of purpose in my life unless I pursue the call. That's why I am moving forward with renewed hope, extended to me through the grace my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Yesterday, I preached a message at our home church, Hillside Church, where I shared about Moses who attempted to escape the call of God on his life when he ran off to the desert, starting a new life as a shepherd, getting married and raising a family. Before that, Moses had sinned by murdering an Egyptian. His fellow Hebrews questioned the call on his life and Moses became worried about his reputation as his sin became known.
Yet, despite all of that, God never gave up on Moses and appears to him in a burning bush in the desert. It was here that God said the following:
Exo 3:4-5 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." (5) Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."
God is about to reconfirm the call upon the life of Moses and he tells him to remove his sandals. Why did God ask him to do that? You see, sandals or shoes represent our journey in life. It represents every place we have ever traveled, all the things we have done and our status in life. When God tells Moses to do this, He is in essence saying, "Put all that aside so you might clearly hear what I have to say."
Moses then hears the instructions of the Lord and is given one of the most significant callings in the history of mankind. What's interesting is that at no point did God talk to Moses about his sin. God was not consumed with the journey of Moses, He was singularly focused on the purpose for which Moses had been created.
I don't know where you are in life, but if you've been running from the call of God on your life, let me encourage you. Whatever path He has lit before you, He still desires for you to walk down it. His gifts and calling are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29) Remove your shoes of past failures, wrong choices and sin. Come before God, and hear His voice as He repeats what He has said in the past. Today is the day for a fresh start, a brand new beginning, and a renewed hope given by the grace of Jesus Christ.
Stay Blessed!
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