When my children were young, if I was going somewhere, I would usually ask one of them to go with me. I was always delighted when they said “yes”. But I confess that, at times, my feelings were hurt if they said “No” or if their response was, “Where are you going Daddy?” In my mind, it wasn’t important where I was going. It was just important for me to be with them and for them to want to be with me.
It dawned on me one day that God must be disappointed when he asks us to go with him and we either respond “No” or ask, “Where are you going?” So, I went to the scriptures and read of the time that God called Abram to leave the familiarity and comfort of his home and “go to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). I noted that Abram did not say “No” to God nor did he ask, “Where do you want me to go,” or “Where is this land that you want to show me.” In simple, humble, obedient faith, Abram packed up his family and belongings and followed God’s leadership not knowing where he was going.
When Jesus called his disciples whether by the seashore or elsewhere, he just simply said, “follow me,” and by faith they did.
Responding to God’s call requires simple faith and trust. It also means that we follow his leadership without having all the answers to our questions. We never know what the future holds, we just know that God holds the future and that is all that really matters. We walk by faith not by sight.
We are exploring the possibility of offering our Youth House as a Welcome Home for refugees. Over the past 6 months a group of volunteer members have been searching out what is involved in such a ministry. What our group has discovered will be shared in a “Town Hall Meeting” Wednesday night, July 12, at 6:30pm. It is imperative that we have as many church members present as possible to hear the presentation with an open mind and heart. If God is calling us to engage in a Refugee Ministry we have to respond. Will our response be “NO,” or will we ask, “Where is this journey going to lead us Lord? Where are we going? or will our response be, “Yes”? The decision that faces us is a call to missions. Our response should be based on whether or not we sense that this is God’s Call to Crabtree Valley Baptist Church. I look forward to seeing you Wednesday night at 6:30pm.
In His love,
Charles
