SIGNS SHOWING THAT YOU WILL REALIZE YOUR CALLING
Case number 1: Joseph
Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”
His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
(Genesis 37:5-11)
In Genesis 37 , Joseph receives a divine dream which describes that he would become a leader.
In Genesis 39:1-6, after being sold by his brothers to Potiphar, Joseph becomes a manager in Potiphar’s house.
In Genesis 39:20-23, after being thrown in prison under false accusation, Joseph is elevated as a supervisor of prisoners.
Case number 2: David
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”
The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”
Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”
Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
(1 Samuel 16:1-13)
In the above passage, we see that David is anointed to become King of Israel.
In 1 Samuel 16:14-23, David becomes an armor bearer for Saul.
In 1 Samuel 17, David saves the nation of Israel by killing Goliath in a duel.
In 1 Samuel 18, David’s national popularity keeps increasing (ref. 1 Samuel 18:6-7).
The journey
In this post, I will not talk about the stages where Joseph becomes a Prime minister and where David becomes King of Israel.
However, I would like us to look at the journey of those two characters before they reached their peak.
Notice that, before they reached their peak, there were clear signs showing that they were moving towards the final realization of their calling.
After receiving his dream, Joseph showed clear signs that he would become the great leader God had called him to be. Those signs were getting Joseph closer and closer towards the realization of his dream.
After being anointed, David got closer and closer to becoming King.
This is the lesson for all of us: “ From the moment we become Christians, we were all called to do something. Our callings would not necessarily manifest themselves overnight, but the journey we adopt should show signs that we are moving towards the realization of our calling.”
There are upon whom prophecies, dreams, and visions regarding their calling were spoken. However, since the day those words were spoken upon them, we can barely see any sign showing that they are moving towards the realization of their calling.
At a certain point, after receiving our calling, there’s got to be signs, from our work, showing that we are walking towards the realization of God’s calling.