Follow God’s Call, Despite the Naysayers

[Follow God’s Call, Despite the Naysayers]( Current Teaching Series [Uncommon Courage]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Follow God’s Call, Despite the Naysayers]( By Rick Warren — 11/21/2021 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( “Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” Numbers 14:3 (NLT) In 1979, I was finishing seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, when I felt God calling me to Southern California to start Saddleback Church. I told a friend who I respected about what I thought God wanted me to do. He said, “Rick, that’s the dumbest idea I ever heard. You go out to California, and you’ll never be heard from again. It’s not going to happen.” He poured cold water all over my dream! Any time you get serious about using your life the way God wants you to use it, some people will oppose you. Satan will throw everything he can at you to keep you from fulfilling your calling. One reason why so few people actually fulfill God’s calling is because they are unwilling to go against popular opinion. If you want to follow God’s calling on your life, you must be willing to reject negative advice—no matter who it comes from. The Bible says in Numbers 14:2-3, “Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. ‘If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!’ they complained. ‘Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?’” (NLT) When faced with difficult circumstances, the Israelites decided they preferred captivity in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. Rather than doing what God had called them to do, they wanted to go back to their old way of life. But one of their leaders, Caleb, had uncommon courage. He decided he was going to face their challenges with God’s help, even if he was scared. He was willing to reject negative advice to follow God’s calling. In fact, Caleb didn’t just receive negative advice; he was also physically threatened. Numbers 14:10 says, “The whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle” (NLT). God’s presence saved Caleb and Joshua. That will happen in your life too. When you go after God’s calling in your life, you’ll always come across naysayers. So make the decision now to reject negative advice. And count on God’s presence to see you through. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What old way of life are you willing to go back to rather than move forward and take a risk? - When you evaluate the advice you’ve received lately from people you love and trust, how much of it helps you move in the direction of your calling? How much of it is negative advice? - Why is it so difficult sometimes to go against popular opinion or the advice of your friends? The post [Follow God’s Call, Despite the Naysayers]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( [Get The Purpose of Christmas book when you give a gift to support Daily Hope]( Announcing the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:10, the angel says, "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people" (ESV). We want to help you experience that deep joy this Christmas by sending you Pastor Rick’s inspirational book, The Purpose of Christmas. This book is sure to become a beloved family favorite to be read every Christmas as you revisit the amazing gifts God gives to us through his son, Jesus. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 3 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Uncommon Courage. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Standing Courageously for the Truth Message 2: The Courage to Keep Going Message 3: The Courage to Follow Your Calling [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2021 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States