“From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.” (Isaiah 46:11, NIV)
It was the common line.
In a pick-up game last week, my partner and I were paired with a couple of golf junkies. On the second hole, a par-3, one of them pulled his tee shot into the trees. It ricocheted right back into the fairway, maybe 30 yards short of the green. His buddy, not missing the proverbial beat—or the proverbial line—said, “That just means you’re living right.”
Living right, golf gods, members’ bounces. These are the patron outside influences of golfers everywhere. Whether they don’t want to take the blame for a mis-hit shot or they’re coming up with some way to explain the wonder of a favorable break, they label happenstance with one of these hackneyed explanations.
Is there a grand philosophical problem in attributing “luck” and “fortune” to agents of luck and fortune? Not in the flippant moment, perhaps—but if this kind of attribution is an indication that we do not recognize and honor God’s role in the circumstances of our lives, we are demonstrating a lack of faith.
In our series on calling over the past few weeks, we have tried to emphasize the who behind calling far more than the what, when or why. If God is not behind our life’s calling, we will either find ourselves floundering or engaging in work that has little or no eternal significance.
There is great value, then, in looking for God in every corner of our lives. He is ordaining even the worst aspects of our day for his purpose in us. In fact, today’s passage from Isaiah 46 was directed at those who hearts were hardened against God. He was calling on them to pay attention to the work he was doing all around them, even through their enemies. That’s right, God will use even the people who desire to harm you to accomplish his purposes through you!
So what God spoke through Isaiah is a rendering of the oft-recited “butterfly effect.” He will use birds from afar and messengers from other places to seek us out and fulfill his plans for us. The very things we do not expect to be God’s work may be exactly what he is using to make amazing things happen!
Are you looking for your calling? Start by looking for God. Learn to see what he is doing on the earth, in your community, and in your life. Then you will be prepared for the work he gives you to do.
—
Jeff Hopper
February 25, 2013
Copyright 2013 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THE CALLING SERIES
Calling, Part 1: Identity First
Calling, Part 2: Response and Readiness
Calling, Part 3: Is It God?
Calling, Part 4: Lacking a Caller
Calling, Part 5: Your Specific Destiny
Calling, Part 7: Looking Forward, Looking Back
Calling, Part 8: God’s Confirmation, Our Confidence
Calling, Part 9: Aliens and Ambassadors
Calling, Part 10: Excellence in Our Calling
Calling, Part 11: Balance in Our Calling