Awakening CallingSample

Calling Starts with God

We see in these passages of Scripture that God is the one who calls us and pursues us with his calling. 

Our calling begins in a garden. We read in Genesis God strolling through the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8). The God who created the world can be heard close by in our world. It is the sound of a voice that can be heard calling repeatedly. It is God who is calling and He calls us with a question, using only a single word. It is the very first question that God asks in the bible and it echoes through scripture and into our lives today. In Hebrew that word is "Ayeka?" – "Where are you?"

This is a question that God asks you. Where are you? He is calling you and He is calling me. Deep down, if we listen attentively, we can hear that same call.

It is the call of a friend who feels deep longing and passionate concern, the call of a saviour who leaves the 99 and relentlessly pursues the one (Luke 15:4). This is the call of a good Father who stands, waits and gazes expectantly, longing for us to return home, eager to embrace us (Luke 15:20). "Ayeka?" Not where are you physically: this isn’t a game of hide and seek. Not where are you emotionally: God already knows. This is a question about proximity: Where are you in relation to me? God doesn’t ask because he needs to know the answer. God asks because we, humanity, need to hear the question, "Ayeka? Where are you in relation to me?"

So, where are you? And how can you respond to God’s calling today?

Questions

Are you aware of God calling you? What can you learn from Samuel about how he responded to God’s call?

Prayer

Lord God, help me to be like Samuel, to learn to recognize your voice and respond to your call. Amen