As I alluded to in my last blog post, we are currently moving though a study of the book of Joshua at our church. In doing so, we recently came across the woman named Rahab in Joshua chapter two.
There, the Bible states plainly that she was a prostitute. And yet, despite her shortcomings, she had heard of the God of the Israelites and desired to make changes in her life so that she might live for Him.
These things she did. When the Israelites spies came to Jericho, she aided them in the reconnaissance. Thus, she was used of God in the life of His people, gaining salvation for herself and her family in the process.
As we studied this particular passage, I was reminded of a piece I once came across:
FEEL LIKE GOD CAN’T USE YOU? If SO, JUST REMEMBER:
Noah was a drunkard (Genesis 9:20-22);
Abraham was too old (Genesis 17th Chapter);
Isaac was a daydreamer (Book of Genesis);
Jacob was a liar (25th chapter of Genesis);
Leah was ugly (Genesis 29:17);
Joseph was abused (Genesis 37:24-36);
Moses stuttered (Exodus 4:10);
Rahab was a prostitute (Joshua 2:1);
Gideon was fearful (Judges 8);
Samson was a womanizer (Judges 14th chapter);
Naomi was a widow (Ruth 1:3);
David had an affair and was a murderer (2nd Samuel 11:3-27);
Elijah was suicidal (1 Kings 19th Chapter);
Job went bankrupt (The Book of Job);
Isaiah preached naked (Isaiah 37th Chapter);
Jeremiah was considered too young (Jeremiah1:6-7);
Jonah ran from God (The Book of Jonah);
The Samaritan woman had multiple divorces; (John 4:8);
Zacchaeus was too small; (Luke 19:3);
Mary Magdalene was an adulteress (Mark 16:9);
Martha worried about everything (Luke 10:40);
The Disciples fell asleep while praying (Matthew 14:37);
Peter denied Christ (Matthew 26:69-70);
Paul was too religious (Acts 8:1);
Timothy apparently had an ulcer (1Timothy 5:23);
AND...
Lazarus was even dead! (John 11 chapter).
NOW! No more excuses! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.*
And there you have it. There are no perfect people. Moses, David, and arguably Paul were all murderers; and yet they were among the very people God used to change the world. The point in all of this is that God does not so much want perfect people as He wants willing people.
He knows we are not perfect. That is why He sacrificed Himself to redeem us on Calvary. But when we are willing, in spite of our flaws, to trust Him and make ourselves available to Him, He can do amazing things in and through us.
And every single person on the list above proves this. As does the man writing this blog post! And hopefully, as will the person or persons reading it as well.
*SOURCE: The original author is unknown. But variations of this classic piece are available widely on the internet. See, for example: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=19782.
There, the Bible states plainly that she was a prostitute. And yet, despite her shortcomings, she had heard of the God of the Israelites and desired to make changes in her life so that she might live for Him.
These things she did. When the Israelites spies came to Jericho, she aided them in the reconnaissance. Thus, she was used of God in the life of His people, gaining salvation for herself and her family in the process.
As we studied this particular passage, I was reminded of a piece I once came across:
FEEL LIKE GOD CAN’T USE YOU? If SO, JUST REMEMBER:
Noah was a drunkard (Genesis 9:20-22);
Abraham was too old (Genesis 17th Chapter);
Isaac was a daydreamer (Book of Genesis);
Jacob was a liar (25th chapter of Genesis);
Leah was ugly (Genesis 29:17);
Joseph was abused (Genesis 37:24-36);
Moses stuttered (Exodus 4:10);
Rahab was a prostitute (Joshua 2:1);
Gideon was fearful (Judges 8);
Samson was a womanizer (Judges 14th chapter);
Naomi was a widow (Ruth 1:3);
David had an affair and was a murderer (2nd Samuel 11:3-27);
Elijah was suicidal (1 Kings 19th Chapter);
Job went bankrupt (The Book of Job);
Isaiah preached naked (Isaiah 37th Chapter);
Jeremiah was considered too young (Jeremiah1:6-7);
Jonah ran from God (The Book of Jonah);
The Samaritan woman had multiple divorces; (John 4:8);
Zacchaeus was too small; (Luke 19:3);
Mary Magdalene was an adulteress (Mark 16:9);
Martha worried about everything (Luke 10:40);
The Disciples fell asleep while praying (Matthew 14:37);
Peter denied Christ (Matthew 26:69-70);
Paul was too religious (Acts 8:1);
Timothy apparently had an ulcer (1Timothy 5:23);
AND...
Lazarus was even dead! (John 11 chapter).
NOW! No more excuses! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.*
And there you have it. There are no perfect people. Moses, David, and arguably Paul were all murderers; and yet they were among the very people God used to change the world. The point in all of this is that God does not so much want perfect people as He wants willing people.
He knows we are not perfect. That is why He sacrificed Himself to redeem us on Calvary. But when we are willing, in spite of our flaws, to trust Him and make ourselves available to Him, He can do amazing things in and through us.
And every single person on the list above proves this. As does the man writing this blog post! And hopefully, as will the person or persons reading it as well.
*SOURCE: The original author is unknown. But variations of this classic piece are available widely on the internet. See, for example: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=19782.