Center for Creative Ministry A research organization and research center for Seventh-day Adventist pastors and their congregations
Rough Start
It’s easy to believe that life suddenly gets easier when God calls us … especially when God speaks directly to us in dreams and visions.
Yet for countless believers around the world, answering the call to follow God costs everything—family, comfort, even safety.
Missionary and author Tom Doyle documents many such testimonies from the Middle East and Central Asia (see Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World? and Women Who Risk: Secret Agents for Jesus in the Muslim World).
One journey Doyle records is that of a North African man, once radicalized and trained for jihad, who began doubting his path. He had a dream in which a man in white put his hand on his shoulder and said, “You are my son.” This phrase struck him deeply because, in Islam, God does not have sons. The jihadist sought out a Christian missionary in hiding, learned about the Gospel, and now shares his story—despite threats on his life.
And stories like these keep surfacing. Just about any recently posted Christian music video features top comments from recent converts who write to praise the music, share their incredible testimonies, and request prayers for God’s protection.
Many of these believers follow Jesus at a cost we can’t easily imagine: family rejection, community shame, fear for their safety. Their roads did not get easier. They often got lonelier and harder.
But Christ’s faithfulness runs deeper.
Even Moses, who served as God’s representative before Pharaoh and led the Israelites out of Egypt, had a rough start in his walk with God. In fact, without even consulting God Moses believed that he could rescue the Israelites, which the Israelites thoroughly rejected (Acts 7:20-29). His attempt failed, and Moses fled to Midian.
40 years later, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush. This is the type of encounter we could only dream of (pun intended), but instead of feeling encouraged, Moses fearfully tried to talk his way out of being God’s messenger (Exodus 3:1-4:17)!
As if unsuccessfully rejecting God’s call wasn’t bad enough, Moses almost died for neglecting to heed the call and live by God’s holy precepts (Exodus 4:24-26).
Compounding Moses’ frustration and stress, God’s very words were rejected by Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1-2) and the Israelites (Exodus 6:6-12)!
And yet, the Israelites eventually came to believe God’s spokesperson and followed Moses into the desert. But even then, an entire generation would pass away before reaching the Promised Land (Numbers 32:13).
Faith in Christ does not guarantee safety. It does not promise riches. It does not erase pain.
But it does promise Holy Spirit’s presence, even in the darkest of places. It promises Living Water for dry souls (John 4:1-14, 37-39).
God still speaks and still calls people—through dreams, through the Word, through you and me. The Creator Who intimately crafted us knows how to reach every searching heart—even when all doors seem shut. And God walks beside us when we say yes, even when our yes costs more than we ever expected.
For Reflection
Connecting: Why do those of Eastern cultures seem to experience God in dreams and visions more often than believers in the West? Consider cultural and religious context, missional barriers, and sociological factors.
Sharing: Just like Jonah, Moses ran out of excuses for trying to escape God’s call. What attempts might we make to get out of doing what God asks of us? Do any of the following methods actually work?
- Fill our minds with worldly things, hoping it will put distance between us and God
- Try to do other good works to make up for it
- Stop going to church/praying/reading the Bible
- Procrastinate
- Make excuses (provide examples)
- Other
Applying: When has God shown up for you in an unexpected way, especially during a hard season? Do you ever feel disappointed with God? How can you share these doubts, trials and tribulations with another in a way that can encourage them?
Valuing: How does knowing that God still speaks to people in visions and dreams challenge and/or inspire you? What about the fact that many believers, around the world, experience a rough start—and bumpy patches along the way—in their Christian journey?
~ Stefani Leeper
