Responding to the Call – Devotional on Following Jesus From the Edges

Responding to the Call – Following Jesus From the Edges-
Prayerfully prepared by Pastor Calvin Cook – August 29, 2024

Scripture focus – Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
The response to Jesus calling the disciples was immediate. Whether it was the fisherman or the tax collector, from their individual and unique life they immediately followed, leaving everything behind. They responded!

In the last two weeks I sent a rather large document to a group of people that I have an association with. I was asked to put this document together by the group out lining vision, next steps, and direction. This email contained my thoughts on how I thought the group could move forward. Very quickly one person responded with a two-word response “looks good”. I appreciated the response but have been thinking, what about the others in the group. In confessing hurts, it hurts when we get no response. Even if it is a simple hello or how are you and we get no response. It causes me to feel unwanted, unneeded, unappreciated.

In the last couple of days, I was a having a conversation with one of the persons that I sent this document to and asked “By the way, did you receive the email I sent you a couple weeks ago?” Awkward silence! “Yes, I have been meaning to respond, but not sure what to say.” Hmm is this where we have come to in our relationship with Jesus. Jesus calls us to follow, calls us to a new thing, calls us to go, calls us to be and we give no response. Do we use the excuse of my friend, “I am not sure how to respond!”

I wonder how often we refuse God’s call on our lives. God wants to use us and assures us of his presence and power, and yet we refuse. Now it’s not about fears or doubts or excuses. Now it’s about outright refusal. This is not an emotional response when faced with a frightening request, this is about outright ignorance and disrespect to God’s call on our life, this is a response, a refusal to obey God. But notice that God keeps asking! Notice that Jesus always gives us a second, one hundredth, one thousandth, second chance. But the question will remain, for how long?

I believe with all my heart – this is the reason the world is in the shape it is in, the nation, the community, our families, our relationship, and even especially our churches! We have been called, raised up, counseled by the Holy Spirit and yet we refused to respond. Maybe it is a good time to be reminded of 1 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

I could go on for hours speaking about how I am feeling when I don’t feel as though people are listening or responding. I could share the hurt, discouragement, and dis-respect, I feel when someone doesn’t respond to a simple text or message or call me back. If I have done the same to you I am sorry. But the simple feeling and conviction I am working through is – “how must Jesus feel when I don’t respond to him”.