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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

God Has Always Used the Ordinary to do the Extraordinary

This morning I read from Daniel 1 and 2 concerning Daniel's selection to train for Nebuchadnezzar's royal service, his interpretation of the king's dreams, and his promotion to higher status in the kingdom as a result of those interpretations. It amazes me how God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things.
I want to point out three things that I observed this morning that I feel every Christian should consider about this section of Scripture.

1. God took an ordinary human being and EQUIPPED him to do a task that was impossible for any man to do. How often do we pick up the phone, and on the other end is God, and He asks us to do something, and we say, "Oh Lord, but I am not eqipped to do this!" And then you hang up and hope He calls someone else? How foolish of us to do this! If God called people who were always equipped for the task, who would receive the glory when the task was completed? They would! God calls us to do things we cannot do with our own talents alone so that He can show the world His power and ability through us, and the world will know Who is responsible for completing the job. This is directly opposite of the way most American interviews are conducted. Americans want a loaded resume, full of promise. God wants a helpless individual who is WILLING to have faith that He will give him or her the tools needed to complete the task. Remember that next time you want to hang up the phone on God.
Mike Weaver, the former coordinator of REAP south in Peru, told us one time, "God does not call those who are equipped, He equips those whom He has called."

2. God empowers us when we allow Him to use us for His glory, and blessings come by the truck load. Daniel was given the power to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dreams by the Lord. He used that to save hundreds of wise men across the country, and he was also blessed with a high ranking position in the king's nobility. Why would this happen? Did Daniel deserve this? Was he equipped by his own standards to handle all of this responsibility? NO! But God equipped him for this task and Daniel was sure to give God the glory for it...
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his." - Daniel 2:20
Are we willing to accomplish something for the kingdom of God and then give Him the praise and honor, or do we want it for ourselves? Daniel was steadfast in his allegiance to God, and as a result, God rewarded him mightily.

3. God does not always speak to us in dreams. Sometimes He speaks by way of real-life events. Our nation's leaders are being shown many things that are to come if they do not "fall prostrate" before the Lord and open their eyes to what all signs are pointing to. This country may very well become a part of that statue that was in the king's dream and fall due to ungodliness and corruption. They are stealing money, manipulating the weak-minded, and looking out for, by large, their own self-interests. They and the rest of this country will bow down to God one way or another. It will either be as a result of our lack of convictions and penalty for unrepentant sin, or because we did come to the realization that God is Sovereign and we turned our trust back to Him instead of money. I would much rather it be the latter.

Yet, while we complain about those in Washington not doing anything to further the kingdom of God, we need to check ourselves and make sure that we are listening to what God wants us to do as well. As in the book of Daniel, God may use any of us "ordinary" citizens to change the whole complexion of the United States government. Will we answer the phone? Will we be willing to have faith that our Lord will equip us? Be ready. Because if you feel like you are by no means the one meant for the job, then you will likely be at the top of his list of interviews. God bless.

Ty