Father, Son and Spirit fill me afresh with your presence as I begin my day.
“Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence. He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:26-31)
The other day i was down at my neighbors house. He has a son that is going into the first grade and has an amazing, wide-open, spirit. We were talking and he looked at me and said, “You know Mr. Gary, if instead of Jesus being the savior or the world, you were the savior, we would be calling you Lord Father Gary!” I burst out laughing thinking, Where did that come from?” And ny young neighbor, delighted he made me laugh joined in my laughter.
i walked away toward my house with a smile on my face thinking if the young boy only know who I was… But Jesus knows who I am. He knows who you are too. If you look throughout history when there was a situation, event, problem that God needed to call someone or something to intervene in on His behalf, who did He call? He did not call the powerful kings and emperors. He did not call in military generals with armies and chariots. He did not use people with amazing renown and influence or celebrities. Who did God call and use as His representatives? “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.: (Matthew 5:5). He called in the meek, the lowly, the common, the humble, the ones who say to themselves as they walk away, “If they only really knew who I am.”
God called Abraham and Sarah who were an old, elderly couple in their 90s to birth Him a nation. He called in David, the runt of his family to be the greatest king. He called a nobody teenage girl named Mary and simple trades man named Joseph through which Jesus, the Messiah would come to earth. He called smelly fisherman and scum bag tax collectors to be His Son’s disciples. And the list goes on and on of the meek, the lowly, the common and humble God called in to advance His kingdom on earth. And you and I are added to His list, as God called us as well.
Into all the pain, brokenness, evil, and poverty in the world today God has called you and me, all those common and lowly people that struggle to be loving, gracious and merciful, but who still call upon the name of Jesus as their Lord, to usher in His kingdom of love, grace and mercy. It is not presidents, kings, armies, popes, gifted pastors, priests, and Christian leaders who can stop the advance of evil and hate, repair the brokenness, and bring hope and life into death and darkness. It is many small, simple, ordinary. humble people, in many small, ordinary cities and neighborhoods, doing many small and unnoticed acts of love and kindness that can usher in the Kingdom of God. It is many small people, in many small places, doing many small things that can launch the unstoppable movement of God in this world. The church was designed to be God’s unstable movement.
My family, I pray this morning and throughout your day you will take time to pray and meditate on Paul’s words to you “Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters.” (v.26). You were called by God in the same powerful way as were the meek and humble, and unqualified saints before you that you read about in the Bible. Pray over your simple yet powerful call by God and what small thing, in your small neighborhood you will join in or start up to be part of the movement of God. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
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