Have you ever thought about the people God uses? If you took a heavenly roll call, the group would include: a con-artist (Jacob), an Egyptian castaway turned sheep herder (Moses), a coward (Gideon), a shepherd boy whose best friends were criminals (David), a momma’s boy (Solomon), an abandoned widow and her mother-in-law (Ruth and Naomi), a herdsman and fruit picker (Amos), a carpenter whose hands were cracked and callus (Joseph), a common Jewish girl (Mary), a rough talking fisherman who spoke before he thought (Peter), a crooked tax collector (Matthew), a shy introvert (Andrew), a wise-cracker (Nathanael), a woman drenched in shame and holding an empty water pot (Woman at the Well), a prostitute (Mary Magdalene), and a prideful Pharisee (Paul). And the list goes on.

We might be thinking, what a motley group! Looks like God would have chosen someone of nobility, high education, coffers full of money and a winsome personality and personal appearance. The truth is, the Lord chose these very people, common in social status and talent but uncommon in spirit, to use to change the surroundings where they lived and in some cases change the course of history. They may have appeared “foolish” and “damaged” vessels by the world’s standards, but when  they were cleansed of their sins and empowered by His Spirit they accomplished extraordinary tasks in God’s hands.

You see, the Lord takes what the world calls hand-me-downs, rejects, and outcasts and molds them into powerful instruments of His loving grace. Paul wrote, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (I Cor. 1:27). Common people doing uncommon things, this is God’s way. The Lord isn’t looking for people who are polished social giants, He is looking for people who are available and will trust Him to use them.

Whoever we are, wherever we are in our lives, however dark or checkered our past, it is no match for God’s heavenly scrub brush that that can wash away our vilest sins, forgive us and transforms us by Hs power and grace to be used in service for Him. He is the Potter we are the clay and as we yield ourselves to Him He can and will mold us into useful vessels filled with healing ointment to be poured out in a world needing the healing balm from the Great Physician. All we have to do is tell Him we are available to be used by Him and we will be surprised at what He can do through us. Little is much when God is in it. All we have to do is make ourselves available.

Let us submit ourselves to the Lord, letting Him cleanse our hands and purify our hearts, and as we draw near to Him He will draw near to us (James 4:7-8) and we will be more than amazed what the Lord can do with a yielded vessel.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan