CALLING INTO BEING
Text: Romans 4:17; Hebrews 11:3
(NLT) By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. (Hebrews 11:3).
My dear brethren in Christ, Peace be with you. Today, through the Ministry of the Church, God is calling us to understand and reaffirm our participation in the ministry of creation. The word “calling into being” simply means bringing something into existence by speaking or commanding it.
As human beings, there are things we can only imagine or desire, but God has the power to bring things that do not exist into existence. Romans 4:17 shows us that God is a God who can create something out of nothing.
Where human beings see emptiness, God can see possibilities. Where we see a dead end, God can create a new beginning.
In the first part of our reflection, Hebrews 11:3 ordinarily means that what we see today came from the Word of God. The things that were not visible became visible because God spoke. This is the power of God’s Word.
We must understand that God is not limited by what we can see. Sometimes we look at our lives and say, “There is no way this can happen.” We look at our circumstances, our background, our failures or our present condition, and we conclude that nothing good can come from us.
But God does not need everything to be perfect before He begins His work. He can start with what looks like nothing and bring something meaningful out of it.
In the second part of our reflection, Romans 4:17 speaks about God giving life to the dead and calling things that do not exist as though they existed.
Abraham and Sarah were faced with a situation that, naturally speaking, looked impossible. Yet God had already spoken concerning Abraham’s future. Abraham had to believe what God said even when his physical circumstances seemed to disagree with the promise.
This teaches us that faith does not deny reality; faith trusts God’s ability beyond what we can see. There may be problems around you today, but your present situation is not necessarily the final story of your life.
You may see weakness, but God can bring strength. You may see failure, but God can bring restoration. You may see an empty place, but God can bring something new into it.
The beauty of what God did and is doing shows that the creation power was not limited to Him alone, neither did He withhold it from man. He empowers man whom He made in His image and likeness, bearing not a mortal body but an eternal Spirit and soul.
He gave us an identity like His, so that what He did, we can as well do and perhaps do more than, exercising our authority in Him.
One of the manifestation of His power in us, is the power of our spoken words.
As through Word, God brought into existence from nothing, so can we also through spoken word affect our environment and situations. Hence, the need to continue to speak positively. Our words can affect people.
A parent can use words to encourage a child or destroy that child’s confidence. A teacher can use words to build a student or make the student feel useless. A friend can speak words that give somebody hope or words that make the person give up.
Therefore, as people who belong to God, we should learn to use our words carefully.
Instead of always saying, “I cannot do anything,” we can learn to say, “With God’s help, I will keep trying.” Instead of telling somebody, “You will never amount to anything,”
We should encourage them to discover what God can do through their lives. Instead of speaking only about the problem, we should learn to speak about God’s faithfulness and promises.
But remember, positive words alone do not replace hard work, wisdom and obedience. If you are praying for success in your studies, you must also study. If you are praying for a better life, you must also make responsible decisions.
If you are asking God for a ministry, you must prepare yourself. Faith does not mean sitting down and doing nothing. Faith believes God and then acts accordingly.
This is why we should not allow what we see today to destroy our faith in what God can do tomorrow. A seed buried in the ground may look useless, but inside that seed is the potential for a tree. A baby may look small and helpless, but there is a future inside that child. In the same way, what God has placed in your life may not look impressive today, but with faith, obedience and patience, it can develop into something meaningful.
Sometimes God also calls potential into being through people. He may bring someone into your life who encourages you, teaches you or gives you an opportunity. Therefore, we should not despise small beginnings. The small opportunity you have today may become the foundation for something greater tomorrow.
Brethren, there may be areas of your life that look empty, dead or impossible. Do not allow your present situation to become the limit of your faith. God is still able to work. The same God who created the world by His Word is still God today. But let our confidence remain in Him. We should not simply speak what we want and expect everything to happen automatically. We should listen to God, believe His Word, pray according to His will and obey whatever He tells us to do.
What you see is not always all that God is doing. What looks like nothing in your hands can become something meaningful when placed in God’s hands.
So keep your faith alive. Keep trusting God. Keep speaking words that agree with His truth. Keep working and obeying Him. And when the time comes, you may look back and discover that God was calling something into being even when you could not see it.
May the Peace and Love of God that surpasses all things rest and abide in our hearts. Amen.