From the archives of Evelyn Roberts
There comes a time in your Christian life when you know God has called you to do something for Him. But between the time He calls you and the time for you to launch out into the deep and actually do it, there are often times of preparation. He uses that time to equip you for what He has in mind. (See Luke 5:4–5.)
A minister friend once said to me, “Isn’t it amazing that when God calls you to do something, He always seems to ask you to do something you’ve never done and don’t know how to do? God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called!”
If the Lord has called you to do something and it hasn’t come to pass as quickly as you think it should, remember that He is probably taking that time to equip you. There are sometimes years of preparation, so don’t be discouraged.
For example, twelve years elapsed between the night God spoke to Oral and told him he was to have a healing ministry and someday build Him a university and the time he actually launched out to follow God’s call. Oral always called those years ‘dead years,’ but I used to say, “No, Oral, the Lord was preparing us for what He had in mind. Just remember how many souls you won to Jesus in those years when we pastored churches and traveled in ministry.” After twelve years of being faithful, God’s time came for us to launch out into the deep in faith.
Don’t ever be discouraged in being faithful to do what God has called you to do—even during those long periods of preparation. When He is through equipping you for His work, you will be ready to launch out!
