Sometimes God says, "Stay"!

Often in God's Word we will read about how God spoke to one of His followers about going somewhere to accomplish something for the Kingdom. God spoke to Abraham and asked him to leave his family and move to the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:1). God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh (Jonah 1:2). God told Joshua to lead the Israelites out of the desert and into the promise land (Joshua 1:6). Jesus asked each of the disciples to follow him (Mark 2:14; Matthew 4:19). Again and again, men were asked to go to follow wherever God may lead them.

Even in today's time, God calls men and women all over the world to leave the comfort and safety of their country and their homes to go. We are taught the great commission in God's Word "therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:16-20). As our spirits grow more in line with God's and our hearts love Him more, we find ourselves saying as Isaiah did, "Here am I. Send me" (Isaiah 6:8). Our whole being stirs within us to give a contribution to further the gospel because it has been so life changing for us.

However not all of us are given the call to go. Instead of hearing "go", we hear God's gentle voice say to us, "stay". The mom hears stay so she can raise her children to love and serve only God. The dad hears stay so he can model Christ's likeness to his coworkers and lead them to salvation. The Sunday school teacher hears stay so he/she can show faithfulness and commitment to the next generation. The prayer warrior hears stay so he/she can keep praying for their family, church, and the world around them. The church member hears stay so they can encourage, love, and support the body of Christ. There are times we need to learn to be content to stay where God has planted us. To be content in the area of service that God has called us. God does not want us to look at other people's service as being greater. "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6).

Let's encourage each other to be "like a tree planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers" (Psalms 1:3).
　
Blessings,
Lisa