(1 Cor 1:26-31 MSG) Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” As I seek to wrap up the story of Moses and move on to David I can’t help but think about the awesomeness of the message behind the people God chooses. I mentioned that yesterday and I will flow in that same vein today.
When God wanted to start a family, instead of selecting a young, vibrant, strong, healthy, and righteous couple, He chose a 75yr. old man (Abram) with a 65yr. old barren wife (Sarai), from a family of idol worshippers. When God wanted to confront Pharaoh and lead His people from Egypt, instead of choosing a strong rebel from within the Israelite ranks, who would initiate an insurgency and lead a revolt, the Lord chose an exiled, ex-prince, who had never really lived like a Hebrew (Moses), to lead the Hebrews from the grasp of his former family. When the Lord wanted to raise up a military general to stand up and lead a rebellion against the Midianites, instead of choosing a strong man who was already in the Army, the Lord chose a scared farmer (Gideon), who considered himself to be the weakest man from the clan. I could go on and on with these examples. But I will wrap it up with just one more. When the Lord wanted someone to begin to put His Word in people’s email inboxes, back before email was even popular (1997), and He was looking for this person to dedicate himself to writing about God’s Word every morning, instead of choosing an English scholar, or a theological scholar for that matter, the Lord chose a Dominican kid from Brooklyn (me), who learned English as a second language, in the New York City public school system, and who never learned the foundations of grammar or proper English. So, it’s clear that Abraham, Moses, Gideon, and Rick Piña are all grace cases. And although I don’t personally know everyone who reads Today’s Word, I would venture to say that you are a grace case as well.
Please read the passage I have provided for you. Paul summarizes what I am attempting to say. I love it when Paul said, “God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God chooses ordinary, and even unlikely people, to do extraordinary and amazing things.
2. God goes out of His way to choose those the world has dismissed, in order to use them to amaze and confound those who did the dismissing.
3. You owe whatever we have become, and whatever level of success you have attained, to God. Without God’s grace you would not be where you are today.
4. If you think you are successful and you feel like bragging, then brag on God, because He is the source of your success.
Closing Confession: Father, You routinely select those the world has thrown away. You take cowards and make them champions. You take barren families and make them bountiful. You take the ineloquent and make them great orators. You take the destitute, dejected, disregarded, and dismissed, and make them leaders above those who did the dismissing. You are an amazing God and loving Father. You took me when I was a nobody, and You have made me somebody in You. Not because I deserved it. Not because I exhibited an exceptional level of faith. Not because of my eloquence, affluence, intelligence, or good looks. No, You did it simply because of Your grace. Your grace is amazing to me and for it, I will never cease to give You praise. Thank You Father for choosing me and for wanting to use me for Your glory. I submit and surrender to Your Kingdom plans and purposes and I cooperate with You, so You can freely operate in, with, and through me. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
