WHEN GOD SAYS GO
JULY 15, 2020
By Jason Waldrep, Director of Worship
Back in November of 2018, when my wife Shayla and I were prayerfully considering moving back to Hawaii after two years on the mainland, we believe God said, “Go.” He said it in so many ways. He spoke through our situations and our circumstances. He spoke through new opportunities, as He closed doors on others. He spoke through friends who were interceding in prayer on our behalf. He spoke through complete strangers who had a very specific prophetic word for me concerning this decision, a week before the opportunity would even present itself. He spoke to us in so many ways. And as we began to experience His peace and assurance that He was indeed calling us to go, God made it hard for us to say no.
Here we are 20 months later, and again, we believe God is saying “Go,” and He’s once again making it hard for us to say no. He’s closed the doors He wanted to close, while opening doors of opportunity we had never dreamt of. It’s easy to blame the pandemic for forcing us to change course and much harder to see it as a blessing of God’s providence and direction, but we can say with certainty, we believe the latter. The time at home together during the pandemic has produced fruit in our lives. Our marriage has grown deeper and stronger, and as a family, we are unified and more inspired than ever to live out the mission to serve God and to be the hands and feet of Jesus wherever we are led.
At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, we read these words: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
As we prepare to move once again, we are reminded that Jesus’ “go” as commanded here in Matthew must take precedent in our lives. When we hear God say, “Go,” we must remember that we go with a mission, with a purpose. As followers of Jesus, we are called to make disciples wherever we are, and we are sent into new opportunities, locations, and places of influence for this very purpose. In this season, our family’s “go” may look different than yours, but I can say with certainty that God is commanding a “go” in your life as well.
So brothers and sisters, I humbly ask, where might God be calling you to go with the mission of making disciples in your own life? Because when God says go, it’s always for the sake of the world, that not one would perish, but that all would experience the transformational love of Jesus in their hearts and lives. God is counting on us!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that as you call us to go out into the world to share the Gospel, we would be quick to listen and respond to your leading. Help us to be a people for others, to be purveyors of hope and peace in a world that so desperately needs more of you. Empower us with your Holy Spirit, and fan into flame our desire to share the Good News wherever you call us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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