Our Response to the Call of God

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 9:30 am Post subject: Our Response to the Call of God

Our Response to the Call of God

Scripture:

And the word of the Lord came to Jonas the second time saying: Arise, and go to Ninive, the great city: and preach in it the preaching that I bid thee. And Jonas arose, and went to Ninive, according to the word of the Lord: now Ninive was a great city of three days? journey. And Jonas began to enter into the city one day?s journey: and he cried and said: Yet forty days and Ninive shall be destroyed. And the men of Ninive believed in God: and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least. And God saw their works, that they were turned from their evil way: and God had mercy with regard to the evil which he had said that he would do to them, and he did it not. (Johnah 3:1-5, 10)

This therefore I say, brethren: The time is short. It remains, that they also who have wives be as if they had none: And they that weep, as though they wept not: and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not: and they that buy as if they possessed not: And they that use this world, as if they used it not. For the fashion of this world passes away. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31)

And after that John was delivered up, Jesus came in Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying: The time is accomplished and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel: And passing by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting nets into the sea for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them: Come after me; and I will make you to become fishers of men. And immediately leaving their nets, they followed him. And going on from thence a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who also were mending their nets in the ship: And forthwith he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with his hired men, they followed him. (Mark 1:14-20)

Reflection:

Through our sin we deny the desire of God, but through repentance we respond to His call. From the time of Adam, and through the generations, sin has consumed the children of His creation; but He seeks for all to return to Him. In our youth, we often do not think of the consequences of what we do or the harm which may be done when we fail to follow what is asked of us by our Lord. Despite our ignorance and insolence, He seeks to guide us to the blessings of His ways.

Though we may fear the tests which await us, what we do in obedience to the Lord will yield what we cannot obtain in this world. As we have the choice to turn away, so too do we have the choice to turn towards. The result of each choice takes us farther or brings us closer; blessed are those who find the way which brings them to Him for they will know the mercy of His love.

If we are blessed to hear His voice, let us not turn the other way, for His call will bless the depths of our soul. No matter the trial we believe we face, if it is for Him or the children of His creation, He will be with us. Blessed are those who respond to the call of God for they will know a more perfect way.

For a time, He has allowed the ways of men to walk the world, but He calls each of His children to a better path. What is here, what is now, will not last. No ruler of men has stood more than a few years. Every oppressor has met their end, facing judgment for every moment of pain and misery they have brought to another. No matter what one holds in this time, if it is of this world, it will pass away. Blessed are they who follow in His path for they will follow to His kingdom and the eternity of His love.

His call was not to men who could form great armies or to wield the power of oppression; His call was to men who were open to His word and who would spread His ways to the generations. As He walked the earth, His call began with a few, but He sought to reach all the children of His creation through the fishers of men.

All are called, but not all will heed. All are sought, but not all shall respond. Some are blinded by the ways of the world. Some will fall to false paths as they seek their own way, but there is only one path to the light, the path which He leads. He was sent to us as the light of the generations so that all might see and all might be saved.

He calls for us to follow Him, but He also calls us to be the example for others so that they too shall follow. Though many have been blinded through the deceptions of the evil one, through those who follow Him, the eyes which struggle to see are opened. Blessed are those who open their eyes to Him for they will find the way to the light of truth. Blessed are those who help to open the eyes of others to Him for they help to do His work to save souls from the abyss.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier