Have you ever felt like you were God’s second – or even third – choice? Do you look around and assume others are far more equipped than you? Do you see yourself as an accidental leader?
Are you someone who jumped in to help because no-one else was available? Do you ever look at yourself and wonder why God would ever choose you?
If you can identify with any of these sentiments, I want you to join me as we look at the men and women God chose in the Bible.
God’s choices
- Abraham, the man who became known as the father of faith, was an idol worshiper when God picked him.
- Isaac was a liar and Jacob was a self-seeking cheat.
- You could be forgiven for describing Joseph as self-important when the call came.
- Calamity surrounded the man who led the tribe that brought forth Christ. Judah’s wife passed away and both his sons died. He must have felt that he was liability, a magnet for tragedy. Not only that, in a dark hour, Judah used a prostitute.
- Moses felt inadequate, he was insecure and had some sort of stammer. If that wasn’t enough, he was also a murderer.
- Jephthah, one of the Judges, was the son of a whore who was hated by his brothers. He was kicked out and became a gang member.
- Gideon – had a low self esteem and Rahab, who was mentioned in the lineage of Christ, was prostitution.
- Ruth was an immigrant without papers, depending on the charity of others.
- Samuel was sent away from home to live with a stranger when he was just a toddler. He never knew what it was to be raised in a loving family so it is no surprise he ended up being a pretty bad dad.
- David was a reject. Even his own dad Jesse didn’t bother calling him in from the fields when the prophet asked to meet all of the man’s sons. David was a bit of a womaniser and his family was falling apart.
- Bathsheba must have been an attention seeker. Who bathes naked on the rooftop? Yet God used her to mother Solomon, the wisest king the world ever knew. I could go on and on.
Let’s read 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 in the Amplified. Take note of every word and let the sentiment sink in.
“God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are.”
The turn around
God picks people with pasts because He knows He can turn our lives around. The Lord chooses those that the world writes off because He knows He can do a work deep within that will bring Him glory.
If you have ever felt unqualified, it’s time to surrender anew to your Heavenly Father. He chose you before He laid the foundations of the earth (Ephesians 1:4) and He wants to use you in wonderful ways.
If you want God to dig deep a do a wonderful work in you, I encourage you to come along to Healed for Life. Get our books and stay on the journey of transformation. There is always more He wants to do.
