So God called you....

Many of us have made the statement, “God called me”, or some variation of that. But just because we have been called by God does not mean that we try to put ourselves on front stage or act as if we are owed something. As I was having Bible study with E, this revelation came from Isaiah 49:1-4.

Yes, we may have been called before we were born to do great things for the Kingdom but we have to understand the process. Verse 2 says, “He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.” There are four points that I want to bring out. First it was God who did it all, it had nothing to do with you, and he gave you the word, hid you, polished you, and concealed you. This call that we have has nothing to do with our own abilities or deservingness. He has been gracious in hiding us in the shadow of his hand while he works out all of our flaws. In the “shadow of his hand” means that he covered us but didn’t restrict us, we are still given the choice to leave his covering. Due to many different reasons (pride, lack of patience, wrong influences) we take ourselves out of his covering before we’re ready.

It then goes on to say that we are made into a polished arrow. Explaining our process. Looking at arrows in biblical days, they were made out of different materials and with different purposes. Some were made of bone, flint, brass, etc and they were made differently; heavier arrows for firing from city walls while lighter arrows were used in open-field fighting. We all have a unique purpose so we will each have a unique process, some need to be heavy to hit harder and some lighter to go further. But we ALL must go through the process of going from raw material to a polished arrow. It takes a lot of grinding and rubbing and heat to get the final product.

So, let’s say we do make it through the process and we’re this polished arrow. “Wait, God! I’m polished and ready, why are you putting me in this quiver, this dark place?” In to the quiver we go, lest we forget verse 3, “You are MY servant, Israel, in whom I will display MY splendor”. It’s not about you. He created you, called you, and cultivated you for his splendor and glory. To keep us from becoming arrogant he places us as polished arrows into his quiver until he is ready to pull us out.

Here comes our complaint (verse 4), “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing”. We made it through the process and then complain when we feel like we’re not being used. That’s a selfish and prideful mindset. “It’s not in man to direct his steps” God said, “I know the plans I have for you”. You may be polished and ready to go out but you must be patient, you have a specific purpose and premature departure from the quiver could be a waste of potential.

Embrace the process and the waiting period! He wants to use you to penetrate darkness but will he find you when he reaches into his quiver?