March 12th, 2024
This week, I haven’t been able to escape the word go.
As believers, we must always have a go in our hearts. Even when we’re planted in the place God has called us, we should never be spiritually stationary. The Word of God is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28:19- 20 saying,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The end of the age hasn’t yet come, so that commission still stands today!
While there are seasons of preparation and waiting, there is always an opportunity in our lives for the expansion of God’s kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:2 says to “be ready in season and out of season.” That means there is no season that we shouldn’t have a readiness in our spirits! Ephesians 6 outlines the spiritual armor that we’re to be clothed with as believers, and one piece of that armor is our shoes. Ephesians 6:15 says,
“As shoes for your feet…put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”
I don’t know about you, but the first thing I do when I get home is remove my shoes. When I leave the house, the last thing I do is put on my shoes. I never go to bed or rest on my couch with my shoes on my feet. Shoes are for going, not for staying, and our spiritual shoes are the readiness of the gospel of peace. That means we should always be ready to go! This doesn’t mean there aren’t seasons of rest and preparation, but even in those times, we must be ready!
Now, everyone is physically called to different places. Not everyone will go to other nations, but every believer has received the same commission from Jesus as part of His body! God will always move to expand His kingdom through our lives, as we make ourselves available. Whether that’s in our homes, our workplaces, on the streets, or in the grocery store, God will always direct us to those that need to hear the Gospel, if we’re listening!
Now, this doesn’t mean we can just go anywhere. Paul is a good example of this. Acts 16:6-10 says,
“They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
Did the Holy Spirit not want the Word of God preached in Asia? Did Jesus not love the people of Bithynia? Of course not. Paul, however, was not called to those places. He received a call to Macedonia, and he obeyed God’s direction. No human being is called everywhere. That’s why we need the body of Christ in the expansion of God’s kingdom! As it says in Romans 12:4-5,
“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
God created each of us with a call and purpose in our generation and He’ll direct us according to His Word! We must be led by God and He is the best shepherd. Romans 8:14 says,
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
Being led by the Spirit is something we learn through obedience, but as you abide in Him, it’s easy to follow. John 10:3-5 says,
“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Don’t ever doubt your ability to hear and follow His Word and Spirit. It’s in your DNA, as a child of God!
One of my favorite pictures of this in the Word of God can be seen in the story of the children of Israel in the wilderness. Exodus 40:36-38 says,
“Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys."
The Israelites who had just come out of slavery and were in the process of learning how to serve Jehovah, were led by the literal glory of God. Numbers 9:18-23 elaborates on this saying,
“As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the LORD they remained in camp; then according to the command of the LORD they set out. And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out.”
Whether they were camping or not, they were always prepared to go. Sometimes they rested in the same place for days, and sometimes for months, but they were ready, at all times, to pick up everything and follow His presence. That’s a picture of what it means to serve God. There is no greater rest than being shod with the readiness of the Gospel of peace. There’s peace in knowing that you’re led by the Shepherd who is more able and willing to care for you than you are for yourself! This week, I encourage you to rest in the readiness of the great commission. The Gospel is alive and wherever God has you, there’s a call to go!
As believers, we must always have a go in our hearts. Even when we’re planted in the place God has called us, we should never be spiritually stationary. The Word of God is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28:19- 20 saying,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The end of the age hasn’t yet come, so that commission still stands today!
While there are seasons of preparation and waiting, there is always an opportunity in our lives for the expansion of God’s kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:2 says to “be ready in season and out of season.” That means there is no season that we shouldn’t have a readiness in our spirits! Ephesians 6 outlines the spiritual armor that we’re to be clothed with as believers, and one piece of that armor is our shoes. Ephesians 6:15 says,
“As shoes for your feet…put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”
I don’t know about you, but the first thing I do when I get home is remove my shoes. When I leave the house, the last thing I do is put on my shoes. I never go to bed or rest on my couch with my shoes on my feet. Shoes are for going, not for staying, and our spiritual shoes are the readiness of the gospel of peace. That means we should always be ready to go! This doesn’t mean there aren’t seasons of rest and preparation, but even in those times, we must be ready!
Now, everyone is physically called to different places. Not everyone will go to other nations, but every believer has received the same commission from Jesus as part of His body! God will always move to expand His kingdom through our lives, as we make ourselves available. Whether that’s in our homes, our workplaces, on the streets, or in the grocery store, God will always direct us to those that need to hear the Gospel, if we’re listening!
Now, this doesn’t mean we can just go anywhere. Paul is a good example of this. Acts 16:6-10 says,
“They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
Did the Holy Spirit not want the Word of God preached in Asia? Did Jesus not love the people of Bithynia? Of course not. Paul, however, was not called to those places. He received a call to Macedonia, and he obeyed God’s direction. No human being is called everywhere. That’s why we need the body of Christ in the expansion of God’s kingdom! As it says in Romans 12:4-5,
“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
God created each of us with a call and purpose in our generation and He’ll direct us according to His Word! We must be led by God and He is the best shepherd. Romans 8:14 says,
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
Being led by the Spirit is something we learn through obedience, but as you abide in Him, it’s easy to follow. John 10:3-5 says,
“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Don’t ever doubt your ability to hear and follow His Word and Spirit. It’s in your DNA, as a child of God!
One of my favorite pictures of this in the Word of God can be seen in the story of the children of Israel in the wilderness. Exodus 40:36-38 says,
“Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys."
The Israelites who had just come out of slavery and were in the process of learning how to serve Jehovah, were led by the literal glory of God. Numbers 9:18-23 elaborates on this saying,
“As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the LORD they remained in camp; then according to the command of the LORD they set out. And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out.”
Whether they were camping or not, they were always prepared to go. Sometimes they rested in the same place for days, and sometimes for months, but they were ready, at all times, to pick up everything and follow His presence. That’s a picture of what it means to serve God. There is no greater rest than being shod with the readiness of the Gospel of peace. There’s peace in knowing that you’re led by the Shepherd who is more able and willing to care for you than you are for yourself! This week, I encourage you to rest in the readiness of the great commission. The Gospel is alive and wherever God has you, there’s a call to go!
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