Reading Isaiah 53 this morning, verse two stuck in my mind: “He had no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” The more that verse played in my mind, the more Hebrews 11 came to mind. God has a history of taking regular, ordinary people and doing some extraordinary things through them.
Read Hebrews 11.
Able was an ordinary young man who gave an excellent offering to the Lord. Enoch pleased God. Noah built an ark when God asked him to. Abraham lived with his wife along with his dad, when God called him out of his country. Sarah was barren but gave birth to Isaac in her old age. Jacob was an ordinary father who played favorites with his sons. Joseph was a regular teenager who’s brothers were jealous and sold him into slavery, but God used all that was wrongly done to him for good when he became second in charge in Egypt. Moses was a normal Hebrew boy God used to deliver the people from crushing hand of Pharaoh. Joshua was an ordinary man with faith in God, so he led the people of God to defeat Jericho. Rahab was a common prostitute, yet she believed God and saved the Joshua’s spies. There are many more examples through out the Bible. The point is God used all these ordinary people, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to fight the armies of the aliens (Hebrews 11:33-34).
If Christ Himself was ordinary being a lowly carpenter’s son, why would we expect God to use only special people for His purposes? The fact is He doesn’t. “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;” 1 Corinthians 1:27 declares. Why just look at who Jesus chose for His disciples? A tax collector named Levi (Matthew) and simple fishermen (Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John). These uneducated men went on to turn the world upside down because they had been found to have been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
What did all these ordinary people have in common? They believed God in faith. Hebrews 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. From the Old Testament examples to the New Testament examples, the people believed God against all odds. They willingly submitted to His will in their life, even when it meant giving up their livelihood to follow Him. Some left family and friends, some left their countries to live in a foreign land and still others gave up their jobs to follow God’s leading. Their faith was real and it was demonstrated with action. They were obedient to God’s commands. When God said go, they went.
Think God can’t or won’t use you? Think again. His glory shines the greatest through the weakest of vessels. When it seems impossible that good can come from a highly dysfunctional life, that’s just when God shows up to make everyone gasp at the wonderful of His mercy and love. If you believe God, submit to His will and are obedient to His Word, stand back and watch the work of the Lord. “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” says the Lord in Isaiah 43:19 NLT.
Lord thank you for using ordinary people for your purposes. It gives us hope that our lives can make a difference for your kingdom. May we believe you, submit to your will and be quick to obey your commands. In Jesus’ name Amen.
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