Good morning,
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. He blessed us with a glorious weekend of worship, witness and rest. It was a glorious day yesterday, the Day of the Lord. One of the readings for yesterday was taken from 1 Corinthians 1:18 ff. This passage speaks about the foolishness of the Cross. "The Word of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but it is the power of God to those who are being saved." The Lord uses the things of the world which are weak and may sound foolish and may run counter-culture to accomplish His divine and holy purposes. Our society values those who have the right looks, wear the right clothes, and flaunt great talents and abilities. That’s the kind of people that the world invests in.
The Apostle Paul, on the other hand, said that God chooses the seemingly foolish, weak, and insignificant (as the world sees them). They’re the ones whom He calls. In fact, He calls NOT MANY wise, NOT MANY mighty, NOT MANY noble. Why does God choose the weak and foolish? Verse 29 tells us - “so that no flesh should glory in His presence”. God’s looking to invest in people who, when all is said and done and He’s used them to His purposes, successfully, will say “IT WAS ONLY BY YOUR GRACE THAT WE MADE IT. We couldn’t have achieved one iota without You!”
This is the message of these verses. It’s a great encouragement that God can gain the MOST glory by using ordinary people like you and me. Yet, as you know, there are many Christians who are intimidated by their feelings of inadequacy. We ALL know our own weaknesses and limitations better than anybody else does. We tend to think that because our resources are so small we could never do anything for God. “Leave it to those talented people; those ‘Super-men and women’ who have it all together”.
Those so-called ‘super-people’ don’t really exist! Underneath it all those really talented, seemingly ‘all-together’ people, are just human beings like the rest of us, with the same feelings of inadequacy about themselves that we all share.
As a young man Moses found himself perfectly positioned to be able to help his people - the Israelites. He had the ear of Pharaoh himself. He had been delivered from death, and brought by the hand of God to an incredible place of opportunity. Surely he was born to be a man of destiny. Then, in a moment, everything changed for Moses. In one rash moment of anger, he seemed to throw it all away. Moses spent the next 40 years tending another man’s sheep in the wilderness. The dream was smashed. Destiny lay in ruins. He was a young man when he fled Egypt; 40 years is the best part of a lifetime - seemingly wasted because of one rash act! Then, one day, Moses came upon a burning bush - it was on fire, but it wasn’t being consumed - it was still green. Moses said: “I will turn aside and see this great sight!”
For 40 years Moses had been living day to day, just maintaining the status quo. Sometimes when we are so locked into the status quo, believing that this is our life’s lot and nothing’s ever going to change, God has to step in dramatically and get our attention. That’s precisely what God did with Moses at the burning bush.
Moses encountered God at that bush after 40 years spent in the wilderness. There God said the most outrageous thing to Moses, “GO BACK and bring My people out of bondage in Egypt.”
Moses' response must have been, “Lord, it’s too late! Surely! If you had asked me 40 years ago it would have been a different story - I was well positioned then - I had youthful energy then - I was well-spoken. Lord, most of my conversation over the past 40 years has been with SHEEP. I don’t conduct myself very well around people any more - and I’ve almost forgotten how to SPEAK Egyptian! How an I going to talk to Pharaoh? What about the Israelites - why should they listen to me? Lord, it’s too late. I had my chance and I blew it! I have nothing left to offer. Find someone who has the ability.”
At that moment God asked Moses thewonderful question, “WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?” Some people are always dwelling on the failures, the mistakes, the wrong decisions of the past, all of the "if only's".
“Moses, WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?”
Moses looked down, and what was in his hand? A ROD. A simple shepherd’s staff. A walking stick, and a tool for scruffing sheep. That was all he had in his hand. It was the legacy of 40 wasted years! Then God indicated, “THAT’LL DO JUST FINE - we can use that!” God said: “Throw it on the ground Moses. You are in the presence of God - now cast it before ME!” Moses threw it down, and immediately it turned into a snake, right before his eyes. God said: “Pick it up again”. Moses took it and it became a rod again in his hand.
Can God use a simple shepherd’s rod? Of course He can. With MOSES it was a rod; with David it was a SLINGSHOT; with SAMSON it was the jawbone of a donkey. It does not matter what the object is because “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” “It’s not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.”
It was that most ordinary and plain old rod of Moses that God used to baffle the magicians of Pharaoh’s court; it was that same old rod that God used in Moses’ hand to unleash ten plagues over the land of Egypt; it was that same old rod that Moses extended over the Red Sea to part the waters; it was that same old rod that Moses used to strike the rock in the wilderness and provide water for the Israelites.
“WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?” It’s not too late. God doesn’t throw people away. “What do you have in your hand?” You may not feel like you have very much at all, but God wants to take your weakness and give you His strength.
I love the way J.B. Phillips: translates (1 Corinthians 1:26-31), “For look at your own calling as Christians, my brothers. You don’t see among you many of the wise (according to this world’s judgment) nor many of the ruling class, nor many from the noblest families. But God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise; He has chosen what the world calls weak to shame the strong. He has chosen things of little strength and small repute, yes and even things which have no real existence, to explode the pretensions of the things that are - that no man may boast in the presence of God.”
You don’t have to be some super-gifted genius in order for God to use you. God takes the most unlikely candidates to use for His glory. He doesn’t look so much for great ability - but rather He looks for great AVAILABILITY.
In Christ,
The Apostle Paul, on the other hand, said that God chooses the seemingly foolish, weak, and insignificant (as the world sees them). They’re the ones whom He calls. In fact, He calls NOT MANY wise, NOT MANY mighty, NOT MANY noble. Why does God choose the weak and foolish? Verse 29 tells us - “so that no flesh should glory in His presence”. God’s looking to invest in people who, when all is said and done and He’s used them to His purposes, successfully, will say “IT WAS ONLY BY YOUR GRACE THAT WE MADE IT. We couldn’t have achieved one iota without You!”
This is the message of these verses. It’s a great encouragement that God can gain the MOST glory by using ordinary people like you and me. Yet, as you know, there are many Christians who are intimidated by their feelings of inadequacy. We ALL know our own weaknesses and limitations better than anybody else does. We tend to think that because our resources are so small we could never do anything for God. “Leave it to those talented people; those ‘Super-men and women’ who have it all together”.
Those so-called ‘super-people’ don’t really exist! Underneath it all those really talented, seemingly ‘all-together’ people, are just human beings like the rest of us, with the same feelings of inadequacy about themselves that we all share.
As a young man Moses found himself perfectly positioned to be able to help his people - the Israelites. He had the ear of Pharaoh himself. He had been delivered from death, and brought by the hand of God to an incredible place of opportunity. Surely he was born to be a man of destiny. Then, in a moment, everything changed for Moses. In one rash moment of anger, he seemed to throw it all away. Moses spent the next 40 years tending another man’s sheep in the wilderness. The dream was smashed. Destiny lay in ruins. He was a young man when he fled Egypt; 40 years is the best part of a lifetime - seemingly wasted because of one rash act! Then, one day, Moses came upon a burning bush - it was on fire, but it wasn’t being consumed - it was still green. Moses said: “I will turn aside and see this great sight!”
For 40 years Moses had been living day to day, just maintaining the status quo. Sometimes when we are so locked into the status quo, believing that this is our life’s lot and nothing’s ever going to change, God has to step in dramatically and get our attention. That’s precisely what God did with Moses at the burning bush.
Moses encountered God at that bush after 40 years spent in the wilderness. There God said the most outrageous thing to Moses, “GO BACK and bring My people out of bondage in Egypt.”
Moses' response must have been, “Lord, it’s too late! Surely! If you had asked me 40 years ago it would have been a different story - I was well positioned then - I had youthful energy then - I was well-spoken. Lord, most of my conversation over the past 40 years has been with SHEEP. I don’t conduct myself very well around people any more - and I’ve almost forgotten how to SPEAK Egyptian! How an I going to talk to Pharaoh? What about the Israelites - why should they listen to me? Lord, it’s too late. I had my chance and I blew it! I have nothing left to offer. Find someone who has the ability.”
At that moment God asked Moses thewonderful question, “WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?” Some people are always dwelling on the failures, the mistakes, the wrong decisions of the past, all of the "if only's".
“Moses, WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?”
Moses looked down, and what was in his hand? A ROD. A simple shepherd’s staff. A walking stick, and a tool for scruffing sheep. That was all he had in his hand. It was the legacy of 40 wasted years! Then God indicated, “THAT’LL DO JUST FINE - we can use that!” God said: “Throw it on the ground Moses. You are in the presence of God - now cast it before ME!” Moses threw it down, and immediately it turned into a snake, right before his eyes. God said: “Pick it up again”. Moses took it and it became a rod again in his hand.
Can God use a simple shepherd’s rod? Of course He can. With MOSES it was a rod; with David it was a SLINGSHOT; with SAMSON it was the jawbone of a donkey. It does not matter what the object is because “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” “It’s not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.”
It was that most ordinary and plain old rod of Moses that God used to baffle the magicians of Pharaoh’s court; it was that same old rod that God used in Moses’ hand to unleash ten plagues over the land of Egypt; it was that same old rod that Moses extended over the Red Sea to part the waters; it was that same old rod that Moses used to strike the rock in the wilderness and provide water for the Israelites.
“WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?” It’s not too late. God doesn’t throw people away. “What do you have in your hand?” You may not feel like you have very much at all, but God wants to take your weakness and give you His strength.
I love the way J.B. Phillips: translates (1 Corinthians 1:26-31), “For look at your own calling as Christians, my brothers. You don’t see among you many of the wise (according to this world’s judgment) nor many of the ruling class, nor many from the noblest families. But God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise; He has chosen what the world calls weak to shame the strong. He has chosen things of little strength and small repute, yes and even things which have no real existence, to explode the pretensions of the things that are - that no man may boast in the presence of God.”
You don’t have to be some super-gifted genius in order for God to use you. God takes the most unlikely candidates to use for His glory. He doesn’t look so much for great ability - but rather He looks for great AVAILABILITY.
In Christ,
Brown
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