Day 2: I Hear You Calling

I suppose the most famous wilderness wanderer in scripture is Moses.  With the exception of his first 40 years of life, Moses’ entire life was spent in the wilderness.  In the wilderness, Moses had countless encounters with God—life changing encounters.  The one that started it all, though, happened when eighty-year-old-shepherd-Moses stopped to see a bush that was on fire, yet not consumed.

What happened next would consume Moses for the rest of his life.  You see, it was in the wilderness that Moses heard God’s call upon his life.  From that moment on, he lived his life with purpose, meaningfulness, and usefulness within the plan of God in the world.  

It was during a season in the wilderness at a youth event in Switzerland that I heard God’s call on my life.  I have never recovered from that moment when God established the trajectory of my life.

I know of many other people who heard the call at a children’s camp, a youth camp, or a family camp.  It seems that God can be heard best when the distractions of normal life are stripped away.  Whether the call is to a life of ministry or the call is to work for Him in other ways and occupations, nothing is more empowering than hearing God call your name and give you your purpose.

And, here we are in a season in which we have been withdrawn from normal life.  We see many people in a panic like the Israelites wanting to go back to Egypt when life became uncomfortable.  Yet, there are those who will take advantage of this season of wilderness to listen for God’s voice asking Him, “What’s my next assignment?”