Good Morning Friends,
Most of us will never hear God’s call the way Samuel did—an audible voice in the night. Yet Scripture insists that every believer has a purpose, a calling woven into the fabric of our lives. Christ’s calling led Him to the cross. Ours may not be as costly, but it is no less real. So we ask: Have our lives confirmed our callings?
Scripture Summaries
1 Samuel 3:1–10 In a time when God’s voice was rarely heard, young Samuel served in the temple under Eli. Three times God called his name, and three times Samuel assumed it was Eli. Only when Eli realized what was happening did he instruct Samuel to answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” And God came near, calling again—and Samuel finally listened.
2 Peter 1:2–7 God has already given us everything needed for life and godliness. Through His promises we escape the world’s corruption and grow into His likeness. So we add to faith: goodness, knowledge, self‑control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection, and love.
Mark 12:1–12 Jesus tells a parable of a vineyard owner whose tenants reject every servant he sends—and finally kill his beloved son, hoping to seize the inheritance. Jesus exposes the leaders’ rejection of God’s messengers and of the Son Himself. Yet the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone of God’s new work.
2 Peter 1:10–11 Therefore, confirm your calling and election. Live into it. For those who do, God opens wide the entrance into His eternal kingdom.
Message: Friends, Jesus’ parable reveals something sobering: the vineyard is Israel, the Church, and even the human heart. We are capable of receiving God’s gifts—and then living as if they are ours to control. The tenants forgot the owner. They forgot the purpose of the vineyard. They forgot the son. This is what happens when people lose memory, hope, and the humility to receive God’s Word. But Scripture reminds us: we were created by grace for a calling that is larger than our careers, our comfort, or our plans. But beneath that is a deeper truth: our real election is from God. Every believer is called—to belong, to be loved, to become like Christ, and to bless others. Some are sent far away; all are sent into daily life. Calling is not a job title. It is a life lived for God. Think of Moses, Mary, Paul. Their callings were gifts—meant to bless others and to draw them into God’s story. The same is true for us. God shaped our purpose before we were born. Our sins do not cancel it. Our failures do not revoke it. The calling is permanent because the Caller is faithful. And calling is never solitary. God binds us into a community—one body, one Spirit, one shared mission. Wherever two or three gather in Christ’s name, God empowers what He has called us to do.
And So, when we commit to our calling, God commits His resources. So we listen. We ask questions. We welcome corrections. We enlist others. And we discover that the prize of our calling is nothing less than sharing in God’s own life and glory. We are servants in God’s vineyard. The Lord of the harvest will return. If we refuse the work, God will raise others up. But love always finds a way—and God invites us into that work together.
Pray we do not reject Jesus. Pray we trust that God works all things for good for those called to His purpose. Pray we become the people God intends us to be. Pray we accept the responsibility of our calling. Pray for the witness of the Spirit in our hearts. Pray we live the life we were called to live—in God’s power, not our own. Pray for love, trust, and a servant’s heart. Pray we steward God’s resources faithfully. Pray we remember our mission. Pray we stand on Christ the cornerstone in an age of shifting sand. Pray we trust God with what lies beyond the horizon. Pray we hope as heirs of a Kingdom that bears good fruit. Pray we believe in Christ’s redeeming work for the world.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 