This post is written by Leslie Hudson and is published as a companion to Unit 18, Session 2 of The Gospel Project for Adults Vol. 6 (Winter 2022-23): From Captivity to Restoration.
If you ask a group of young children to tell you their favorite Bible stories, they’ll choose the most exciting: Jonah and the whale, Noah and the flood, David and Goliath. Even the adult believer is often drawn to the flashier stories in the Bible: Moses and the burning bush, Paul’s conversion, Hosea and Gomer. We love the struggle between good and evil, the victorious God, and the inspiration to be faithful. Deep down, too, we love the idea that God sends clear and unmistakable instructions to His people.
But not everyone gets a burning bush or forty days on Mt. Sinai. Some of the most faithful servants of the Lord have never heard His voice audibly or picked up their sling and five stones. Yet they know what it means to walk with God, one step at a time.
Bette’s Story
Bette is one of those people. She’s been an inspiration and encouragement to countless people over the years, including me. After feeling the call to missions even as a young adult, she and her husband served as overseas missionaries for nearly a decade, raising their children and teaching about Jesus. When they returned to the states, they led groups on many mission trips, both domestic and international. Bette has taught missionaries how to be missionaries and is likely the first person that comes to mind to anyone in our congregation when they think of sharing Jesus. She’s always getting ready for a trip, either spiritually or physically, to share the gospel.
Years ago, I asked her how she knew that God had called her to a life of missions. “I never got a direct message from God,” she told me. She never heard His voice or saw a vision. But each time an opportunity arose for Bette and her husband to travel on behalf of the gospel, they would take a step; and as she explained this to me, Bette slid one foot gently out in front of her, as one might do if testing to see that a pond is frozen over and ready to hold the weight. Looking right and then left, then up, she said, “And then we’d wait and ask God to make it clear if we were off His path.” Sometimes, she explained, a door would close or an opportunity would fold; if so, they would retreat. But if the path seemed clear, they would take the next step.
Nehemiah’s Story
Bette’s story of following God sounds a lot like Nehemiah’s. No fire from heaven, no vision, no angel messenger, no audible instructions. But when he received news that the city and people belonging to God were distressed and in shame, he knew he had to act. After four months of waiting, praying, and seeking the Lord, he stuck his foot out, saw a door open, and took the next step.
Though we might prefer the flashy stories that the young children love, most of us will never get swallowed by a giant fish or fight a giant. But we will find a tugging at our heart to step out in faith for God. You might feel the need to foster children, stand up for the unborn, aid in disaster relief, and more. Perhaps you’ve already felt the call but are waiting on the flashing billboard from heaven.
Nehemiah’s story reminds us that it may not come. But as doors open and opportunities come available, we stick out one tentative foot and take the next step.
Leslie Hudson loves her mornings of silence, coffee, and Jesus—not in that order. She lives with her husband and kids in White Bluff, Tennessee, where they raise blueberries, figs, and bees. She loves to spend her free time reading, writing, journaling, and helping others know and follow Jesus.
