5 More People in the Bible who were Called by God

In a previous blog, I listed six people in the Bible who received their calling from God: Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, and David. In this blog, we’ll discuss five more!

#1: Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:1-8)

As a punishment for their sins, God allowed the Babylonian empire to conquer the Israelites and send them into exile. Years later, the Babylonians were conquered by the Persian empire. King Cyrus of Persia issued a decree allowing the Israelites to return to Jerusalem. Only a small portion of those who had been exiled decided to return. At first, there was excitement about this opportunity; however, once they had returned, things were not going as well as hoped. This grieved Nehemiah, and he began to pray. Not long after he prayed, he received an opportunity to ask the current king if he could help the Israelites who were resettling in Jerusalem. With the king’s resources and his permission, Nehemiah went about the difficult task of helping the Israelites in Jerusalem, even though he faced trials, push back, and personal attacks.

In summary, Nehemiah’s call was born out of a grieving heart and prayer. He used his career and influence for God’s purposes and stood strong while facing discouragement and sabotage.

What Can We Learn:

Like Nehemiah, our calling may come from God giving us the desire to see something that is wrong made right. We may also find that pursing our calling is not easy as we may face opposition.

#2: Esther (Esther 3:12-15; Esther 4:5-16)

Imagine if you became responsible for saving an entire nation of people. Well, that’s exactly what happens to Esther! A series of events leads Esther to become queen of Persia. Through her relationship with the king, Esther is able to plead for the lives of the Israelites who are threatened with genocide. This one act requires incredible faith as Esther puts her own life at risk for the sake of her people. The book of Esther never says that God told her what to do or how to act. Instead, her uncle Mordecai reveals that he believed God elevated her to the position of queen to help her people. In short, Esther’s story shows us what God can do when we put our trust entirely in Him and surround ourselves with wise counsel in order to serve God in difficult situations.

What Can We Learn:

God may use relationships—family and friends—in our calling, so it’s important to surround ourselves with godly people who can help us navigate difficult circumstances. We also see that God may use sinful people or difficult circumstances to position us to do His will. Our lives are led by God and are not a series of random events. We may not understand why God allowed frightening or painful things to happen in our lives, but we can trust that He will use every circumstance for our good and His glory.

#3: Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

One of the few singles mentioned in the Bible (Jeremiah 16:1-4), Jeremiah is called by God to be a prophet in Judah. At this time, the kingdom of Israel had split into two, and Judah was in danger of being conquered by the Babylonian empire. Jeremiah’s ministry was to warn the Israelites to turn from sin and back to God in order to be saved from the coming threat, but his ministry was unsuccessful. He was rejected by the Israelite people, including his peers, family, and friends. He suffered persecution throughout his life; he was beaten, refuted by lying prophets, nearly sentenced to death, and thrown into a cistern. This was a tough ministry, but Jeremiah stayed true to God’s call and persisted through these difficulties.

What Can We Learn:

Jeremiah’s story reminds us that God can use single people for his kingdom. His life also shows us that God’s calling may cause suffering. It can be lonely if others do not believe in our calling. We may even appear unsuccessful to others in accomplishing God’s plan. Despite these difficulties, we can still persevere to honor God.

4: Mary & Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38)

Yes, they are two separate people but their calling required both of them as a couple so they are mentioned together. Mary and Joseph both received separate messages from angels about the birth of Jesus. They were called to marry and raise Jesus together. Mary was the first to accept this calling, and Joseph accepted later. They faced difficulties, like having to move out of the country, in order to keep Jesus safe. Mary faced judgment for being pregnant before marriage. Aside from these difficulties, their calling was actually pretty mundane—raise a family. Of course, they were caring for our Lord and savior, but the actual task was to simply provide protection, a home, and love for Jesus and the rest of their children.

What We Can Learn:

Both Mary and Joseph didn’t receive their calling until it was close to time for marriage. This may mean that God has a special purpose for married couples that may not be revealed until their union. God’s calling also doesn’t have to be fancy. It can simply be caring for others, being good parents, etc. Lastly, Mary was the first one to agree to their calling, and Joseph joined her later. Our calling may be to help or support someone else in what God has called them to do and that’s perfectly okay.

#5: Paul (Acts 9:3-19)

Paul was originally named Saul, and he was a Pharisee who heavily persecuted the church until his conversion. Once he had an experience with Jesus, he became an apostle to the gentiles or non-Jewish people. Early in his conversion, he received a prophecy that he would become a martyr for Christ. Despite this information, he determined to serve God wholeheartedly. He endured shipwrecks, betrayals, and imprisonment to share the gospel with others. He remained mindful of his past sins, which humbled him, and grateful for his salvation through Jesus. God used every bit of Paul’s life—his miraculous conversion, his education as a Pharisee, and his ambitious personality—to plant churches and win souls for Christ.

What Can We Learn:

We can see that our prior sins do not disqualify us from our calling. If God can use a former murderer like Paul, then he can use us! Lastly, serving God is not for cowards. It may cost us much suffering. Therefore, we need to have a deep commitment to God in order to keep the right perspective and zealously serve Him when we face trials.

Hopefully, this list of people called by God provided insight into how God uses different people to accomplish His goals on the earth. Has anyone in this list inspired you to pursue your calling? Please let me know by commenting below!