We’re
blessed to have the Bible and our inspired pastors, priests, church leaders,
and parents to teach us and lead us. But
I have to wonder if that’s enough. Is it
OK to leave the “God stuff” to others, to those “called”? I think Scripture provides some unmistakably
clear answers to that question.
Amos wasn’t
a priest, but simply a farmer, an ordinary man living in a small town a few
miles south of Bethlehem. That sounds a
lot like me – a simple ordinary man - and yet God called Amos to deliver an
important message to the people of Israel.
Perhaps the most amazing part of Amos’ story is not his message, but
that he simply listened and obeyed. He
didn’t come up with a list of excuses or reasons why he wasn’t the right man
for the job. He simply responded to
God’s call with courage and faith (Amos 7:12-15).
The Psalms
point to the results that Amos (and each of us) can expect. If we listen to God and are wise enough to
trust Him, then God will be able to use us in His holy plan (Psalms 85:9-14).
In a letter
to the Ephesians, Paul reminds us that God chose us before the foundation of
the world. He destined us for adoption
to himself through Jesus Christ. I get
the feeling he doesn’t expected us to sit back and let others do the work of
pointing our brothers and sisters to Jesus.
But I’m not trained, I’m just an ordinary man; how could I possibly be
called by the God of the universe to do anything so important? Paul forcefully responds to that fear by
reminding us that God has lavished His grace upon us, and that God has provided
us with all “wisdom and insight” into the mystery of His will in
accordance with His favor (Ephesians 1:3-14).
We’re a part of His amazing plan.
“In Him, we were also chosen, destined….”
That fact is just so breathtaking - that God all along had me as a part
of His plan. As with Amos, God provides
us with all that’s needed to follow His will for our life, to truly make a
difference; to make a profound difference for eternity.
But the
message doesn’t end with the letter to the Ephesians. In Mark’s gospel, Jesus tells us that we need
not worry that we may not have what it takes to complete God’s plan for our
life. We simply need to trust that He is
with us and that He will provide everything we need. The disciples, all simple ordinary men,
grasped this truth and were able to share the good news of Jesus with power and
effectiveness well beyond anything they could ever have imagined (Mark 6:7-13). God used each of them just like He’s planned
to use each of us.
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