Focal Point: Too Big to Hear God’s Call?
Dr. Michael G. Loftis, President, ABWE International
A slender boy of nine peered intently at the small pad of paper on his lap. He shaped each letter carefully in order to get each word right. T-H-E C-A-L-L O-F G-O-D. The evangelist had said this phrase along with some other big words, but those were the main ones. The young boy’s mom had said, “Always write down in your notes the main words the preacher says.”
The voice of the evangelist again forced its way to the forefront of his mind. “Down through the ages God has called boys and girls, men and women from every walk of life to answer His call and take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Tonight there is a young man sitting somewhere in this audience and, as I speak, the voice of God is whispering to his heart just as He whispered at midnight into the heart of young Samuel so long ago. God is calling him into a life of missionary service. I want to ask for every head to bow and every eye to be closed. As we bow to pray, I want to ask that young man or woman to stand wherever you are as a way of saying, ‘Yes, I hear the voice of God calling me, and I want to obey His call.'"
The boy’s heart pounded in his chest. It was like a whisper down inside. Was that God speaking? His heart told him it was. Slowly he rose from his seat and stood quietly while gripping the back of the pew in front of him. He knew this was the right decision.
Again he heard the evangelist’s voice, “Anyone else—man, woman, boy, or girl, all over the auditorium—if you have heard the call of God on your life tonight, then I ask you to stand wherever you are. God is not looking for great people but simply for obedient people. Let’s pray. Lord, you knew long ago that we would be meeting here tonight, and I pray now for that young man standing to his feet to say ‘Yes’ to you. Even if he is the only decision tonight, the evening was worth all our time to know that you will use his life to serve you.”
The boy began to feel the color rise in his cheeks at the embarrassing thought of standing up all alone. He forgot that all the heads were bowed in prayer. Somehow he had to be sure and began to peek from under his eyelids to see if anyone else was standing. Realizing he was the lone person standing, he slowly crouched down into his seat. But a hand touched his back and helped him rise back to his feet. The hand was his mother’s.
Over forty years have passed and that young man has now traveled to over sixty-five nations of the world in the service of his Savior, Jesus Christ. I know. I was there that night. I was the young boy.
Does God still call boys and girls into His service like He did young Samuel so long ago? If you ask me, I don’t think He ever stopped. I wasn’t hustled off to another room for fun and games with Kool-Aid and cookies. I got to stay in “big church” with the big people where the preacher was big and the words were big and God was big. But that night I was the only one who heard the voice of God whispering in my soul. Maybe the others were just too big to hear it.
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