When He calls...

The Bible doesn’t reveal much about the life of the prophet Amos other than what he reveals about himself when speaking to Amaziah, the high priest of Bethel.

Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of some sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ Amos 7:14-15

God decided to call on a herd-tender and tree pruner to be a prophet? Really?

Yes, really. Are you having a hard time wrapping your mind around the thought? If so, then consider the lives of a few other Biblical characters. Abraham, considered to be the religious patriarch and model of faith, was a wealthy trader and herdsman. The Apostles Peter, James, Andrew, and John were fishermen when Jesus chose them. Matthew was a tax collector. Luke was a physician. Paul was a persecutor of Christians when Jesus called on him.

It’s safe to say that none of these men knew that they were going to be called by the Lord to serve until they were. In all likelihood, neither did their mothers and fathers. Oh, their parents probably prayed or hoped for them to achieve greatness, as do most parents, but it’s doubtful that they knew the destinies that awaited their sons.

God did.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

God knew the calling that he had for each one of these men before they were born! It was part of His plan was for them to be herdsmen, traders, tax collectors, and persecutors of Christians before He called them. Peter, James, Andrew, and John were fishermen before Jesus recruited them to be “fishers of men.”

What we must remember here is that each of these men chose to answer the calling that God placed in their hearts. Believe it or not, each one of them could have said “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m perfectly content doing what I’m doing.” And God would’ve chosen someone else.

You have a calling in your life; everyone does, even the least likely of us. God has called you to serve Him. He has called you to greatness, and He’ll supply you with everything you need to answer the call. The love of the Father, the strength of the Holy Spirit, and the compassion of the Son are yours for the asking. Your calling may not impact lives in the epic proportions of Abraham, Peter, or Paul, but that doesn’t make it any less significant; not in the eyes of God, and certainly not in the eyes of the people in whose lives you will make a difference.

What you’re doing in and with your life at this very moment may have little or nothing to do with the plans that God has for you. It doesn’t matter; He knows the where, the when, and the why. You’re faced with two questions. The first question is not if He will drop a calling in your heart, but when? The second and most important question of the two is…

When He calls, will you answer?