A DIFFERENT CALLING
There are times when God calls a person to make a change in the course of his life. We saw previously how Doctor Luke was asked to go from being a physician to being a historian and pen the remarkable books of Luke and Acts, which have been immortalized as God’s word in the New Testament. Yet another person who experienced a dramatic change in his course was David, whose journey is summarized in Psalms 78:70-72;
He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
First the choice is God’s. A change in course is appropriate only if it is the will and design of God. Our lives belong to God and it is He who has endowed us with our unique set of abilities and skills. Success should not be confused with satisfaction. The former does not necessarily bring the latter. When we learn to offer our lives in sacrifice to God and use our God-given abilities to fulfill his purposes, satisfaction and fulfillment come home.
While the change in course is obvious, there are connections between what has been and what is to come. As David moved from the sheep pen to the castle, he continued to be a shepherd. In fact his training as a shepherd helped him to remain people oriented and care for his flock rather than being an oppressor as many of his successors were. The lessons of uncompromising dedication to his job, courage, faith and compassion that he learnt tending his sheep were put to good use and helped him become not only a king but a better king than most others because his journey to the kingdom was an unusual one.
In Luke’s case, we see a similar pattern. Luke likely had many gifts that were being put to good use as a physician, including his vast knowledge, attention to detail, his compassion, his understanding of history and ability to dissect circumstances and people. All of these were in God’s immeasurable wisdom, the right skillset to put down in writing the two books in the Bible, which have been etched into immortality.
Finally we see David embracing his destiny and fulfilling it with integrity and skill. He remained true to God and his rule was an act of worship to God. He also ruled with great wisdom and accomplished the expansion and unification of the nation of Israel taking it to heights unimaginable.
When God’s call comes to change course, nothing can be as fulfilling as embracing the call and savoring the adventure.
