God’s hand on us – called to serve

Those called to serve in leadership roles usually see this as a God-given opportunity and privilege to do something meaningful for people and for good causes.

Despite the eye-flaps that secularity puts on us to ignore religion, a deepseated awareness of divine providence remains in the soul of mankind, created in God’s image, and with a longing for contact with God.

Many people who ignored God for a long time, go on their knees before him when someone they love dearly becomes severely ill.

The awareness of God’s calling is depicted many times in the Bible. David testified in Psalm 139 that God hemmed him in on all sides, and placed his hand on him.

Noah was called to build the ark to rescue some people and animals.

Abram was called out of Haren to a land God promised to his descendants. God literally laid his hand on Jacob when he wrestled with him. God put his hand on Joseph when he enabled him to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh, and made him governor of Egypt.

God called the hesitant Moses at the burning bush, making him the greatest leader of Israel, shaping their lifestyle for 3,500 years up till today.

When Moses had fulfilled his task as teacher, God called Joshua as general to conquer the Promised Land. He was followed by Judges called by God to free Israel from foreign oppression. One of them was Gideon, empowered by God to set thousands of Midianites running with only 300 men. Samuel was the last Judge; he reluctantly started the period of the Kings on God’s command.

When the first king failed, God led Samuel to anoint a shepherd boy as future king. At the right moment,

God placed his hand on David to slay Goliath. After 12 years of persecution,

David was crowned king of Judah, and seven years later as king of all Israel. God endowed him with many gifts; the most important one was poet; believers still enjoy his psalms after 3,000 years.

God laid his hand on prophets and apostles to bring his word to Israel, the church, and the world, in person and in writing.

The dramatic calling of Saul the persecutor to become Paul the missionary is vividly described in Acts 9, 22, 26, and Galatians 2. God laid his hand on him to plant and serve many local churches, edifying them by his epistles, which became a treasure to the church of all times.

Jesus said, “Whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:27-28).

Jacob Van Zyl of Lethbridge is a retired counsellor and the author of several faith-based books.