Isaiah 6:8: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
D. L. Moody wrote the following words next to Isaiah 6:8 in his Bible: “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by the grace of God I will do.”
In the mid 1800’s DL Moody was a young man working in a shoe store in Boston, Massachusetts. The store was owned by his uncle who agreed to employ his nephew with one condition, that he attend church on Sundays. Moody became a part of a Sunday School class and was eventually led to Christ by the teacher. Moody, who grew up on a farm and had only a 5th grade education, was used by God to become one of the most influential preachers of the 1800’s.
If you read the story of DL Moody’s life you’ll learn that he was a simple man, but one used mightily by God. Which bears the question: What can happen in the life of an ordinary person, when they surrender their life to God. Moody said, “Here I am, Lord, send me.”
In 2 Timothy 2:20-21 there are a couple of interesting verses. The Bible says, “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”
I find it interesting that Paul says there are some things that are common. The truth is, many of us disqualify ourselves from being used by God because we see ourselves as common, unqualified, or unprepared. Notice what Paul says, “Those who cleanse themselves will be used for special purposes, made holy and useful to God.”
Some of the excuses we use:
•I’m not talented enough
•I’m a new Christian
•I don’t know enough about the Bible
•I’m not outgoing – I have quiet personality
•I’m too young
•I’m too old
When we look at the Bible, it seems that everyone God used in a powerful way had some reason why God couldn’t use them.
•Abraham was too old
•Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
•Moses had a stuttering problem
•Peter denied Christ
•Rahab was a prosititue
•Gideon was afraid
•Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
•The disciples fell asleep while praying
•Zacheus was too small
•Paul was too religious
•David had an affair and was a murderer
Some of the greatest men of God had great struggles in their lives.
•Charles Spurgeon (prince of preachers) depression and smoked cigars
•Billy Graham – poor education
•John Calvin – short temper and sharp tongue
•Martin Luther – sometimes vulgar and always controversial
As you read scripture you’ll see God uses the insecure, the unlikely, and even those who had failed.
In our house if we are in a hurry or if it is a quick meal, we will eat on a paper plate. I’m not picky. But if we have guests we always use nice dishes. They are both vessels but one is of greater value than the other.
When we look at our lives, some of us see ourselves as the paper plate. When God looks at our lives he sees us as the fine dishes.
When it says, 2 Timothy says “If a man cleanses himself.. it does not mean that we have the power to deal with our own sins. We do not have that power. But it does mean that we are responsible to use the cleansing he has provided.
Those that want to be used by God sanctify themselves, they give themselves wholly and completely to God. We surrender all that we are to God.
Today’s Challenge: Let your prayer be “use me God.” Be willingly to give God all that you. Ask him to fill you with His Holy Spirit and be willing to step out in faith.
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