Some of you have been given an assignment by the Lord that will take you outside the perimeter of your comfort zone. You are out of contact with what has been familiar. What you have relied on in the past is no longer available. This kind of assignment is not for the spiritual faint of heart.

When I worked as a sheriff’s patrol deputy out of San Jose, California, the county was immense covering all of Silicon Valley and beyond. It also covered an area deputies called “South County. This area was rural with farmlands and mountains. Pacheco Pass was at the southern limit and in the depths of canyons that did not allow for radio contact. From the summit of the pass, you could see the San Joaquin Valley.

When my partner and I would get to a certain point and were moving deeper into the mountains we radioed dispatch and let them know we would be entering the area without radio contact. This was in the days before cell phones and advanced communication relay systems. We would then be alone without support or backup if an emergency occurred. While we were always careful about patrolling, we were extra careful in how we evaluated our decisions because if there was a real emergency there was no possibility of anyone to come to our rescue.

Some of you have a unique calling. The Lord has called you to enter a spiritual version of “South County” where you must go it alone. You may have been assigned to unpack something about God that is not widely accepted, or you are ministering in a gift that puts you at odds with people who don’t want to hear what you have to say.

Being alone in your calling requires that you keep your heart right before God and as much as it is possible, be at peace with all people. It is the kind of spiritual vigilance that resembles what happened when I patrolled a dark mountain pass not knowing what was lurking around the next bend. 

I am not describing lone rangers. My patrol area was assigned to me by my commanding officer. Lone rangers create their assignment and choose their own area of ministry. To be truly effective in patrolling a lonely stretch of a spiritual assignment requires a humility of heart that is not easily offended or demands the praise or acceptance of people. You will be cruising through dark and lonely places where the Lord wants to establish His presence. When fear, discouragement, and even rejection take place, you are never alone. God will be your backup. His angels surround you. No weapon formed against you will prosper because the Lord will be your defender.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).