God is continually calling His people to go forth. Sometimes this may not mean going forth physically but rather spiritually. You may not move one foot physically and yet the Lord could call you go forth light years spiritually. On the other hand, God can call you to move hundreds of miles physically while also calling you to go forward spiritually.
That is exactly what the Lord did with Abraham. He was called to go forth physically and spiritually. [Gen 12:1] This really challenges me. Going forth means leaving things behind. It means venturing into the unknown. It means walking by faith in obedience to God’s leadership with no guarantees of success. It means going to uncharted territory in my soul. It means being stretched out of my comfort zones. Ultimately it means trusting God no matter what.
I have been challenged in recent days by reading about the lives of two daring and dangerous disciples who heeded God’s call to go forth; one to Africa and the other to Burma now known as Myanmar.
David Livingstone heeded God’s call to go forth from his native Scotland to be a medical missionary to Africa. His going forth was so dangerous after getting married, he eventually had to send his wife and children back to Scotland where they were separated for years at a time. Livingstone labored hard but so little fruit. He was driven to open up the interior of Africa with the gospel and fought against the superstitions of tribal religions.
Livingstone’s going forth into the interior of Africa led him to create maps to be used by subsequent missionaries. He was attacked by a lion, encountered savage tribes and chiefs, witnessed the brutal murder of a tribal chief by a jealous brother, he was robbed by tribes and guides and endured other challenges like being misunderstood and disliked by the other missionaries for his boldness and zeal. After years of labor he had only one convert to show for it, but he kept going forth. When he died years later the African people cut his heart out of his body and buried it in Africa before shipping his body back to Scotland.
Adoniram Judson .followed God’s call to go to Burma. Right before he died decades later he made the comment to a friend, “Few there are who die so hard.” He suffered and suffered for following Christ. He buried two wives and several children in his constant labors to go forth in translating the Bible and a dictionary in Burmese. It was a hard row to how for Judson but he stayed the course. When he followed God’s call to go forth leaving his family behind; he never saw his father, mother, or brother ever again. In fact, he did not return home for thirty-three years and only then because his wife was sick. His going forth meant sufferings like the sufferings of Job. .
Where is God calling you to go forth? It might not be a physical location but a spiritual destination. No matter where it is, may we all have the courage and the faith to go forth as Abraham, Livingstone, and Judson did. May our going forth for the furtherance of the kingdom of God inspire others to do the same.
That is exactly what the Lord did with Abraham. He was called to go forth physically and spiritually. [Gen 12:1] This really challenges me. Going forth means leaving things behind. It means venturing into the unknown. It means walking by faith in obedience to God’s leadership with no guarantees of success. It means going to uncharted territory in my soul. It means being stretched out of my comfort zones. Ultimately it means trusting God no matter what.
I have been challenged in recent days by reading about the lives of two daring and dangerous disciples who heeded God’s call to go forth; one to Africa and the other to Burma now known as Myanmar.
David Livingstone heeded God’s call to go forth from his native Scotland to be a medical missionary to Africa. His going forth was so dangerous after getting married, he eventually had to send his wife and children back to Scotland where they were separated for years at a time. Livingstone labored hard but so little fruit. He was driven to open up the interior of Africa with the gospel and fought against the superstitions of tribal religions.
Livingstone’s going forth into the interior of Africa led him to create maps to be used by subsequent missionaries. He was attacked by a lion, encountered savage tribes and chiefs, witnessed the brutal murder of a tribal chief by a jealous brother, he was robbed by tribes and guides and endured other challenges like being misunderstood and disliked by the other missionaries for his boldness and zeal. After years of labor he had only one convert to show for it, but he kept going forth. When he died years later the African people cut his heart out of his body and buried it in Africa before shipping his body back to Scotland.
Adoniram Judson .followed God’s call to go to Burma. Right before he died decades later he made the comment to a friend, “Few there are who die so hard.” He suffered and suffered for following Christ. He buried two wives and several children in his constant labors to go forth in translating the Bible and a dictionary in Burmese. It was a hard row to how for Judson but he stayed the course. When he followed God’s call to go forth leaving his family behind; he never saw his father, mother, or brother ever again. In fact, he did not return home for thirty-three years and only then because his wife was sick. His going forth meant sufferings like the sufferings of Job. .
Where is God calling you to go forth? It might not be a physical location but a spiritual destination. No matter where it is, may we all have the courage and the faith to go forth as Abraham, Livingstone, and Judson did. May our going forth for the furtherance of the kingdom of God inspire others to do the same.
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