God Uses Ordinary People
Dear Friends,
As a child and growing up I was painfully shy. I lacked confidence in myself and battled with an inferiority complex. I disliked having to do anything which would draw attention to myself.
I enjoyed English Literature but I dreaded those lessons when we would read a book aloud. I would sit in fear of being chosen to read, but being picked to read was inevitable. I was not skilled in reading aloud, I would stammer and stutter, falling over words and would just make a complete mess of it. In GCSE English Language we would have to give speeches. Having to speak about something for 3 minutes to 30 or so classmates filled me with horror! I had nothing of interest to say, how could I possibly speak for that long? I would stand up feeling physically ill, with my knees knocking together and struggle through the speech I had prepared.
These experiences added to my low self-esteem and made me feel like a failure. They were just horrible.
You know, I can really relate to Moses. We have the account of God appearing to him in Exodus 3 and God calls him to return to Egypt because God is going to use him to lead his people out of slavery and into the Promised Land. Moses says to God “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11 (NLT) and in the following chapter "But Moses pleaded with the Lord, 'O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.'" Exodus 4:10 (NLT) I so understand where Moses is coming from!
What I love about the Bible is that it is full of accounts of ordinary people used by God. God uses people you would never expect him to use. When I see how he uses ordinary people I realise that he can also use me because I too am ordinary.
He delights in using ordinary people because he can work with us. When he uses us to accomplish his will he is the one who receives the glory, because it is obvious that he is the one who gives us the power. He is the one who enables us to do what he's calling us to do. So often God doesn't call those who are equipped, instead he equips those he has called. This brings me such encouragement and I pray it encourages you too. I know what I'm like, I know my abilities and I know that I would not be able to serve God were it not for God equipping and enabling me.
Today I serve God by preaching and teaching. I love to share his word with others. No-one who knew me back in my school days, who had seen me in my English lessons, would ever, ever have said that I would now be doing this. They would never have envisioned this for my life. I would never have believed it for myself. But God knew! It was his plan for me from the beginning. He has called me to this and he alone has equipped me for this. I know without God this would have been impossible. It just never would have happened.
God makes it clear to Moses that he will equip him for the task and he will be with him. God did not expect Moses, and he does not expect us, to do it on our own. "Then the Lord asked Moses, 'Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.' Exodus 4:11-12 (NLT)
Take courage, dear friend. When God calls you to a task, don't focus on your own inadequacies or insecurities, focus on him. God sees what we aren't always able to see. God has blessed us with his Holy Spirit, he is with us always and we have his promise that he will enable us. He will supply us with what we need to do his will. When we do something that we are naturally unable to do, he is the one who gets the glory. It's for us to decide if we are going to trust him. If we will place our faith in him. If we will listen and step out in obedience, believing that if he has called us then he will surely equip us.
To Think About:
What reasons or excuses do you give to God as to why you can't do what he is calling you to do?
Have you ever regretted not doing what God asked of you?
Is he calling you to something you know is far beyond your ability to do? Will you believe that he will equip you for it? Will you take that step out of your comfort zone and watch him work through you?
Vcki
As a child and growing up I was painfully shy. I lacked confidence in myself and battled with an inferiority complex. I disliked having to do anything which would draw attention to myself.
I enjoyed English Literature but I dreaded those lessons when we would read a book aloud. I would sit in fear of being chosen to read, but being picked to read was inevitable. I was not skilled in reading aloud, I would stammer and stutter, falling over words and would just make a complete mess of it. In GCSE English Language we would have to give speeches. Having to speak about something for 3 minutes to 30 or so classmates filled me with horror! I had nothing of interest to say, how could I possibly speak for that long? I would stand up feeling physically ill, with my knees knocking together and struggle through the speech I had prepared.
These experiences added to my low self-esteem and made me feel like a failure. They were just horrible.
You know, I can really relate to Moses. We have the account of God appearing to him in Exodus 3 and God calls him to return to Egypt because God is going to use him to lead his people out of slavery and into the Promised Land. Moses says to God “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11 (NLT) and in the following chapter "But Moses pleaded with the Lord, 'O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.'" Exodus 4:10 (NLT) I so understand where Moses is coming from!
What I love about the Bible is that it is full of accounts of ordinary people used by God. God uses people you would never expect him to use. When I see how he uses ordinary people I realise that he can also use me because I too am ordinary.
He delights in using ordinary people because he can work with us. When he uses us to accomplish his will he is the one who receives the glory, because it is obvious that he is the one who gives us the power. He is the one who enables us to do what he's calling us to do. So often God doesn't call those who are equipped, instead he equips those he has called. This brings me such encouragement and I pray it encourages you too. I know what I'm like, I know my abilities and I know that I would not be able to serve God were it not for God equipping and enabling me.
Today I serve God by preaching and teaching. I love to share his word with others. No-one who knew me back in my school days, who had seen me in my English lessons, would ever, ever have said that I would now be doing this. They would never have envisioned this for my life. I would never have believed it for myself. But God knew! It was his plan for me from the beginning. He has called me to this and he alone has equipped me for this. I know without God this would have been impossible. It just never would have happened.
God makes it clear to Moses that he will equip him for the task and he will be with him. God did not expect Moses, and he does not expect us, to do it on our own. "Then the Lord asked Moses, 'Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.' Exodus 4:11-12 (NLT)
Take courage, dear friend. When God calls you to a task, don't focus on your own inadequacies or insecurities, focus on him. God sees what we aren't always able to see. God has blessed us with his Holy Spirit, he is with us always and we have his promise that he will enable us. He will supply us with what we need to do his will. When we do something that we are naturally unable to do, he is the one who gets the glory. It's for us to decide if we are going to trust him. If we will place our faith in him. If we will listen and step out in obedience, believing that if he has called us then he will surely equip us.
To Think About:
What reasons or excuses do you give to God as to why you can't do what he is calling you to do?
Have you ever regretted not doing what God asked of you?
Is he calling you to something you know is far beyond your ability to do? Will you believe that he will equip you for it? Will you take that step out of your comfort zone and watch him work through you?
Vcki
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