God’s Calling

Have you ever wondered about God’s call on your life? Perhaps you’ve heard the word “calling” mentioned in Bible studies, Christian books, or church sermons. But what does it really mean, and what should you expect when you encounter God’s call? To help us explore this, we’ll look at one of the most dramatic call stories in the Bible—the call of Moses.

Story of Moses

Moses was about forty years old when he fled Egypt and settled in Midian. There, he married and started a family. He probably thought he would spend the rest of his life there. But one day, as Moses was shepherding his father-in-law’s flocks, God broke into his life in an extraordinary way.

Moses saw a bush on fire. The strange thing about the bush was that, although it was on fire, it was not consumed by the flames. When Moses approached the bush to take a closer look, “God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’” (Exodus 3:4).

God revealed to Moses that he was “the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). Overcome with fear, Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God.

God then told Moses some good news. He had seen the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt and he planned to rescue them. But then came the unsettling news. God wanted to use Moses as his instrument to deliver his people. Moses struggled to accept this news. Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). Even after God assured Moses that he would be with him and displayed miraculous signs to demonstrate his power, Moses continued to resist.

Pause and think about this: Moses might not seem like a strong candidate for the calling God placed on his life. Moses made three excuses to avoid God’s call (Exodus 3:13; 4:1, 4:10), and when God responded to each of Moses’ excuses, Moses still pleaded, “Please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). Given Moses’ resistance, we might expect God to change his mind and choose someone more confident or willing.

When God Calls

The truth is, God’s calling is never about how good or qualified we are. Moses was correct in thinking he couldn’t do it on his own. He needed God’s power working within him. However, Moses failed to understand that when God calls someone, he also equips them for the task (see Philippians 4:13).

The reality is that Moses’ excuses didn’t matter because Moses wasn’t the one doing God’s work. It was God’s power working through Moses.

As a former high school Bible teacher, I often had my students read Moses’ story (Exodus 3–4) alongside the call stories of Gideon (Judges 6:1–24), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1), and Peter (Luke 5:1–11). Together, we would look for common themes in each of these call stories.

Here are some of the themes we noticed:

– God interrupts a person’s life unexpectedly– God calls them to a certain task– The person resists and demonstrates fear– God gives the person a sign and words of assurance– The person ends up following God’s call

Noticing these shared patterns reveals something important. It’s natural to feel resistant to or afraid of God’s call. That’s okay. God is patient. If it’s truly his voice and his will calling you to a certain task, he will give you signs that confirm that. God promises to be with you and to equip you. God will calm your fears.

Moses’ resistance did not derail God‘s plan. God knew what he was doing when he called Moses, and God knows what he is doing when he calls us as well. Doubts will arise when you hear God calling. It’s natural to think, “I’m not cut out for this. I don’t have the skills. Please, send someone else.” But those doubts don’t deter God. After all, he created us and knows us completely.

Remember this: when God calls you, he also imparts his Spirit to guide and equip you. God’s promise to Moses is still true for us today—not only is he with us (see Exodus 3:12), but he is in us through the Holy Spirit. That’s an intimacy even deeper than Moses himself experienced.

Through Christ, God’s power within us is able to accomplish “more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). Whatever God is calling you to do, trust that he will certainly be able to accomplish it through the power of Christ at work within you. Thanks be to God!

Adapted from the study material from the NIV Application Bible based on the NIV Application Commentary series.