THE KING’S BUSINESS
1082
It may be that the call came to you through the reading of the Bible and a consideration in connection therewith of the needs of the world. You caught the vision of the greatness, goodness and love of God, and the sin, need and woe of the world. You felt that God longed to save men, and men needed God so much. You realized that you stood between a vision and a task, that “deep was calling unto deep,’’ and thus you were led to offer your self to God to fill this need. It was the study of the open Bible and the map of the world that led Carey to devote his life to missionary service. Or it may be that the words of a mother, living or dying, expressing her wish that if God should call you into His service you would not refuse Him—it may be that this sacred memory hasiissued in the surrender of yourself to work for God. It may be like Amos and Isaiah. You have heard a very general call: “Who will go for us and whom shall I send?” . You have replied, “Here am I, Lord, send me.” It was such a general call that came to Amos: “Then answered Amos, and said to Ama- ziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I Was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore Uruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.” “Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken noth ing at all? Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not .done it ? Surely the Lord-God will do nothing, but he revealeth hi§ se cret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but proph esy?” It may be that your reply to the ^call was in “no language but a cry.” In response to your vision of God, you said, as Saul of Tarsus said when on the way to Damascus he was arrested by Christ:
because the Nazarite was living in a realm higher than the lawful—he was living, moving and having his being in that realm and plane of life which is higher': that which is “expedient” and “edifying,” as well as “lawful.” So shall it be with your life and mine. Its work, thought and activity will be deter mined by the appreciation we have of our calling. It is for this reason that the Apostle Paul here prays that the eyes of the heart of his readers may be opened and illumined that they may know, or as the Greek word properly expresses, fully know and appreciate the hope of their calling. I. T he N ature of Your Call. 1. Your call may be dim and indistinct as to time, place and purpose. You may not be able to tell just how the call to service came to _you. There are many true, genuine Christians who are not able to tell,the day, hour* or place, when and where they were converted, but that they were converted there is no doubt, for the fruit of their lives bears evidence to the genuineness of their conversion. Nor is it absolutely necessary that one be. able to give such specific information with regard to his conversion. So may it be with regard to your call to Christian service.- It may be that some Christian worker, evangelist, or minister once, appafently incidentally, put his hand on your shoulder and said, “My friend, has God never said anything to you about giv ing up your life to His service?” And that very Word set you to thinking. It so happened in my own case, if you will par don the personal reference. The late Dwight L. Moody, at the close of one of his marvelous addresses on "Service,” came down to where I sat, and, placing his hand on my shoulder, said, “Young man, has not God called you to Christian ser vice?” Thus the spark of ambition for service which had been in my heart for some months was fanned into a flame, and within a month I was in preparation for the service of God.
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