Ordinary People – Extraordinary Call

It amazes me whenever I stop and give serious thought to the people who were called by God to do the extraordinary tasks in the Bible. First, there come to mind the inner circle of Jesus' followers: Peter, James and John. They were fishermen — smelly, stinky, probably poorly-educated fishermen! Amazing, isn't it, that one doesn't need to be well-educated or sophisticated to be a friend of the King?

I think of Moses, the son of an Israelite, raised in the courts of Pharaoh. Yet Moses was loved and chosen by God to lead His people out of their bondage in Egypt. God's love held Moses secure in the bulrushes, through the Red Sea, and in the wilderness. When Moses doubted, God cared; when he questioned; God answered; when Moses had needs, God provided.

With my mind's eye I visualize David, a shepherd boy, tending his father's flock out on the green hills of the countryside. His brothers are all away from home fighting in Saul's army. Jesse calls David home to run an errand for him to King Saul's camp. Meanwhile, God calls David out to win the battle against the giant Goliath, using a stone and a mere slingshot.

Esther, beautiful Queen Esther, was a peasant Jewish girl whose faith and courage God used to preserve her people from annihilation at the hands of wicked Haman.

Mary, another ordinary woman, was used to teach us that this world's goods are of little value when kept to oneself, but to serve others is a noble call. When Mary anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped them with her hair, I believe she declared for all time that service is the highest call! To give oneself unreservedly, regardless of the cost, is what the Lord asks from each of us.

I am constantly in awe to think that God would use a little boy's lunch to feed five thousand hungry people. Just five loaves and two small fish — so little — and yet so much in the hands of the Master.

What of you and me; what do we have to give? A stammering tongue like Moses? An obedient spirit and a youthful heart like David? Faith and courage like Esther? Will we give out of our hard-earned possessions like Mary? Will you and I be like that unnamed little lad who gave all that he had? It wasn't much in terms of quantity, but God took that lad's lunch and changed the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Today, if you and I will yield ourselves to Christ, He'll take us, ordinary people, and He'll use us to accomplish extraordinary tasks.

Each of us has gifts and abilities yet often we short-change ourselves and never tap into our gifts because we fear others will criticize our performance. I want to encourage each of us to get involved, and not to wait until we're perfect, but allow Christ to use the ordinary to achieve the extraordinary.

Isaiah 6:8 – Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (NIV)

Prayer: Father, help us each to pray, saying, "I give you my life today with all my weaknesses, shortcomings and failures. Use me for your glory. I pray for Jesus' sake." Amen.

Forward this devotional     Share this devotional on Facebook     Like PresbyCan on Facebook