08/31/2024
Doing great things for God; this is the goal of many who come to faith or enter the ministry. But just as often, people feel inadequate and don't see how they could possibly contribute in any significant way. It is hard for them to see themselves doing great things when all their lives they have been anything but great, but with God all things are possible.
“But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.””
Matthew 19:26 ESV
Throughout the history of mankind God has used men who didn't seem to have the ability, and sometimes enough faith in themselves, as the tip of His spear. A wonderful example of this is Moses. The Lord didn't select Moses to lead His people out of Egypt because he was a powerful or intellectually equipped man, no, he had murdered another and fled into the hills where he was tending sheep, and he had a speech impediment that kept him from communicating easily with others. In an interview he wouldn't have been offered this job by any reasonable employer.
So why Moses? There are a couple of obvious explanations that come to mind, the first being that he loved God's people... After all he had killed an Egyptian to defend one of them! The second is that he had faith and would do God's bidding. By choosing Moses God used a man who at first glance didn't appear to be the hero type, and yet this damaged man was to be His champion. There can be no doubt that Moses couldn't do this on his own, as a matter of fact he couldn't have done any of the things he did. The plagues on Egypt, the miracles in the desert, receiving the Ten Commandments, and then finally reaching the Promised Land... These were all accomplished by God through a man who couldn't even speak clearly, yet the Lord led him to greatness. This continued to occur throughout the Bible, and occurs today. Jesus said it best when He spoke these words…
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
John 14:12-13 KJV
Today we can still be God's champions. This happens by obeying the very commandments that Moses retrieved all those years ago, and by having unwavering faith in Jesus. We might not lead God's people out of some calamity (or maybe we will) but God can and will use us to accomplish great things in His name. Defining something as being great requires perspective. Is leading a stadium full of people to believe in Jesus great? Yes, I believe we would all agree it is... after all, look at Billy Graham. How about saving one person’s soul at your workplace? Would that qualify as great? I think it would.
We tend to belittle our efforts for the kingdom, and this is called humility, but somewhere along the line, these humble victories we are achieving in our faith can, and will, be viewed on earth as they are in heaven... as being efforts of greatness, and the actions of a hero. On earth you may be a hero in the eyes of your family, or a single person whose life you touched and led to salvation... but then again you may have been a secret benefactor and received no acknowledgement at all. Whatever the case here in the world, the shout goes up in heaven! One soul won, one meal for the hungry, one sick person visited, maybe one child clothed, or one prayer offered for the broken hearted... These are the actions of Jesus and the trademarks that define a true hero in the kingdom of God.
So, no matter how unlikely we might think we are, or how unworthy we may feel, God sees us through His eyes, and in Him we become great the very moment we accept Him as our God, and walk hand in hand with His son Jesus.
“… “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:4 ESV
Today I pray that God continues to use those that mankind considers great in faith, but I also ask Him to continue using the millions of believers that only He, and those in Heaven, see as heroes; as being great. I ask Him to bless the unsung, the humble doers of remarkable things, I pray for those unlikely souls who, like Moses, are used by Him every minute of every day despite their obvious inabilities or inadequacies. I pray that He opens the eyes of those who are downtrodden so that they see themselves just as He sees them... great in their faith, and Heroes of the kingdom.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for calling the broken of the world, and leading them to faith in you and your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for taking the most unlikely from among these and using them as heroes, and great men and women of God, to glorify yourself. Help us, and the world, to see these, your children, as you see them, and to call them great as you do. If you would have chosen them from among the world’s greatest, or from those who were perfect in their belief, to do these mighty things for you, then it would have confused the worldly, and they might have believed that men could do such things of themselves. But, we thank you for using the least of us, and the most damaged among our lot, that we would never claim to see these amazing acts as being our doing, nor assume the glory for them. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God through whom all thing are possible, and in whom all is done. Holy are you who uses the least to accomplish greatness, makes the righteous from the sinner, the strong from the weak, and believers from the unbelievers by removing indecision from those who doubt you. Merciful and full of grace are you who leaves the 99 to seek the 1, and who uses that one wayward lamb to win the many, and to demonstrate your power and dominion over all creation. We praise you now in this our prayer for the meek, the weak, and the downtrodden, and those who are humbled before you. We ask that you use them today and call them heroes, and great among men. We pray that your will be done through these unlikely souls, and that you will be glorified by their obedience, and all you do through them. Have mercy on us Father, and grow us in our righteousness and faith as you use us for your purposes… great are your chosen in the world, and heroic are they in the kingdom. Although they are often seen as small or weak by mankind and the fallen world, they are holy, pure, obedient, and great indeed to you. And that is sufficient to us.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen.
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
1 John 4:4 ESV
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 ESV
“And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.””
Exodus 3:9-12 ESV
Rich Forbes