Is God Calling you? What does a spiritual wake-up call sound like?
- Thad DeBuhr
- Sep 11
- 10 min read
Updated: Sep 12
Have you ever felt a tug on your heart, a restless energy to do something big for God, but you immediately dismiss it because you feel so incredibly unqualified? You look at your bank account, your resume, your lack of experience, or your past mistakes and think, "There's no way God could use me for that. I'm not equipped." You're not alone. This is a common point of confusion for many Christians—the feeling that God's calling is reserved for a special, elite class of people who have it all together. But what if God's plan is fundamentally different from ours? What if He isn't looking for the perfectly equipped, but is instead looking for the perfectly willing?
Let's dive into Ezra 1:5-11 to unpack a powerful story that teaches us exactly this.
Before you dig into the story, I would encourage you to read through the passage in two different bible translations from this list: NIV, NLT, NASB, ESV, NKJV
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The Setting: From Captivity to Calling
To truly understand the weight of this passage, we need to grasp the historical, cultural, and geographic context. The people of Israel had been living in exile in Babylon for 70 years, a punishment for their disobedience to God. They were not just in a foreign land; they were deeply integrated into a foreign culture. It's crucial to realize that a 70-year captivity meant that very few of the people who were old enough to have actually lived in Jerusalem and worshipped at the temple would still have been alive. The vast majority of the people God was "stirring" to go and rebuild were people who had never been there. They were being asked to leave the only home they had ever known to go to a land they had only heard about from stories.
Distance: The distance from Babylon to Jerusalem was approximately 500 to 900 miles (800 to 1,450 km), depending on the route taken. The journey would have been long, arduous, and dangerous, taking several months to complete on foot. It was not a simple trip; it was a life-altering pilgrimage.
Cultural Divide: The culture of Babylon was vastly different from that of ancient Israel. The Babylonians were polytheistic, with a pantheon of gods and goddesses, and their capital, Babylon, was a marvel of the ancient world. They had advanced science, mathematics, and infrastructure (e.g., the Hanging Gardens). They were a global superpower. The Israelites, on the other hand, were a monotheistic people who worshipped a God they could not see and who had lost their nation and temple.
Lifestyle: For the exiles, life in Babylon was relatively comfortable. They had houses, jobs, and a settled existence. Many were born and raised there; Babylon was the only home they had ever known. The currency, the food, the social structures, and the trades were all Babylonian. Leaving this familiar, settled life to return to a land they had never seen and a city that was a pile of rubble would have been incredibly difficult. They weren't leaving for a vacation or a new opportunity; they were leaving comfort for chaos, security for uncertainty.
This context makes their decision so remarkable. While they were likely skilled laborers, craftsmen, and builders, the shocking part was not that they lacked the ability, but that they had to leave most everything behind to take on a massive rebuilding project in a far-off land, where they had no idea what to expect.
To help us understand this in a modern context, consider my wife, Kaila, who is of Ukrainian heritage. Her grandparents on both her mother's and father's sides were from Ukraine, and her father even traveled there once to visit, though he never lived there. Kaila, however, has never been. Now, imagine God calls her to go to Ukraine after the war to help rebuild. She would be going to a place she knows she's connected to by heritage, but to which she has no real, practical connection. She would feel ill-equipped to enter a foreign culture, not knowing the language, food, topography, or climate. Most of all, she would feel overwhelmed by the task of helping to rebuild places she's never seen, all while wondering if the fighting is truly over and if it's safe. This helps us get a sense of the weight of the task that God was calling these exiled people to. But God didn't call the equipped; Instead, he equips the willing.
A Biblical Pattern: God Equips the Called
The principle of God calling the unequipped is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. He intentionally chooses those who are not prepared by human standards to showcase His power and provision.
Moses: He was an exiled shepherd, a fugitive with a speech impediment, when God called him from a burning bush to confront the most powerful man on earth and lead an enslaved nation. God didn't look for the most eloquent or influential man; He looked for a man of obedience and humility, and He equipped him with His presence and miraculous power.
Gideon: He was a timid man, hiding in a winepress, when God called him to lead an army. He protested, "My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." God called him a "mighty warrior" and equipped him with courage and faith to defeat an entire army with just 300 men, jars, and torches.
Esther: A young Jewish orphan living in exile, she was unexpectedly made queen. When her people faced extermination, she was terrified to act. But God had placed her in a position "for such a time as this," and He equipped her with bravery and selflessness to save her people.
Mary, the Mother of Jesus: A young, unmarried girl with no social standing, she was chosen to carry the Son of God. When she asked how this could be, the angel told her, "The Holy Spirit will come on you." God equipped her with His very presence because of her humility and faithfulness to accomplish the impossible.
Applying it Today: It's All About Character
While God does not require us to be equipped with resources, influence, or power, He does look for a specific character. He doesn't overlook who we are on the inside. The story of King Saul and King David is the perfect example of this.
When God chose a king for Israel, the people looked for a man who was equipped by human standards. They chose Saul, a man who was physically impressive, "a head taller than any of the people" (1 Samuel 9:2). He had the look of a king, the charisma of a leader. But God's perspective was different. When choosing the next king, He told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his height, because I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).
God chose David, a humble shepherd boy, the youngest of his brothers. While Saul's character faltered—he became prideful, disobedient, and jealous—David, in spite of his mistakes (and he made some big ones), was affirmed by God as “a man after His own heart” (Acts 13:22). Why? Because of his unwavering faith, his repentance when he sinned, and his commitment to God's will. David's heart for God was what mattered most.
So, how do you position yourself to be called by God?
Are your actions, laziness, lack of character, and integrity causing God to overlook you?
Work on Your Character: Paul, a highly educated and zealous Pharisee, spent years in Arabia before beginning his ministry. Moses lived as a shepherd for 40 years before God called him. David was tending sheep and living in the shadow of his family while a calling was on his life. These were periods of preparation, not idleness. Use this time to develop your character. Practice integrity in small things. Be faithful where you are. Work on the humility, faithfulness, and courage God values.
Practice Faithfulness in the Small Things: Jesus said, "He who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much" (Luke 16:10). If you're lazy with your time, irresponsible with your money, or unfaithful in your current commitments, what would a grand calling from God look like? Be faithful with what you have now.
Position Yourself: Paul went to Arabia to be with God. Moses went out into the wilderness alone. David was by himself with the sheep. Are you spending time alone with God, listening for His voice, and preparing your heart for whatever He may call you to do?
Discerning the Call: What to Do in Response
How do you know if God is stirring your heart? It often begins with a persistent thought, a restless feeling, or a clear inner nudge.
Talk to God About It: Don't just dismiss it. Bring it to God in prayer. Be specific. Tell Him your doubts, your fears, and your lack of resources. Ask Him to confirm the calling and provide a clear path.
Share It With Others: Don't try to go it alone. Share your potential calling with a trusted friend, a mentor, or your small group. Invite them to pray for you and ask for their honest, biblical counsel.
Take the First Step: The called in Ezra did not rebuild the temple in a day; they took the first step of leaving Babylon. Abraham was told to "go to the land I will show you" (Genesis 12:1). He didn't have a map; he just started walking. What is your first step? Is it a difficult conversation? A change of career? A move to a new city? Taking a class?
Share Your Story
The Journey God has you on is uniquely yours, but it’s also meant to be shared. It's not about one big moment of excitement but about a lifelong journey of faithfulness. Whether you're just hearing God's voice, you know you've heard from him, or you've been on the path for years—what is your story? We would love to hear it!
Send us an email or join our YJJ Facebook group and share your story with us. Your journey could be the encouragement someone else needs to take their first step.
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In a world of shocking tragedies, how do Christians grieve? In times of shocking tragedy like the murder of Charlie Kirk, it's natural to feel overwhelmed with questions, anger, and grief. Many of us are looking for a way to process this pain, and the public impulse is often to immediately share our thoughts and frustrations on social media. But there's a different, and I believe more biblically grounded, first step: lament.
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Lament is not just crying; it’s a powerful, honest form of prayer where we bring our pain, questions, and confusion directly to God. It’s a spiritual discipline we see throughout the Bible, and it’s a path to true comfort and healing.
In this special episode, we're diving into the biblical practice of lament. We'll explore:
❓ What biblical lament really is.
🙏🏻 How believers in both the Old and New Testaments used it to process immense grief and injustice.
👉🏻 How we can put on a "modern sackcloth and ashes" by pausing, praying through our pain, and grieving for others.
This conversation offers a different kind of comfort—one that acknowledges the pain without providing easy answers and encourages us all to bring our broken hearts directly to God. Lament is the path to true comfort and healing. It is the spiritual discipline that prevents our grief from turning into bitterness and our anger from turning into despair. It allows us to be honest about the terrible things in our world while holding fast to the hope we have in Christ. In this tragic moment, the most faithful response may be to step away from the noise and simply lament with God.
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We've journeyed through the Bible, verse by verse, for over 15 books now! We take each passage and break it down into easy-to-understand chunks of plain English. Along the way, we uncover fascinating historical details and explore the cultural context, truly bringing the scriptures to life in a way that resonates. Forget dusty footnotes and words that send you reaching for a thesaurus – we make God's Word approachable and meaningful for everyone. And because we know you're eager to dig even deeper, make sure to subscribe to the Daily Bible Podcast and catch the video podcast each day that complements these blogs!
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