Today’s scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-6
Peter quotes the prophet Isaiah in these verses, the same Isaiah who prophesied
of Jesus’ birth (9:6) and death (53:3-5). Prophecies fulfilled, by the way.
Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone, precious in God’s sight. As it should be. But
we’re a part of the story. We’re “living stones,” part of God’s “spiritual
house.”
Think about it: God chooses to use us. He allows us to participate in His plan.
When we serve Him, when we follow His call on our lives, we’re offering
“spiritual sacrifices.” I find it astounding that the God of the universe, the
Sovereign Lord of all things, gives us the privilege of being stones to build
His temple on earth.
He doesn’t need us. In fact, I often say things would be a lot easier without
us! But He loves us so much He wants to bring us joy as we serve Him and
others.
And I’m not disappointed. Are you?
Today’s scripture: 2 Timothy 2:20-21
Vessels of honor … and vessels of dishonor.
We are all vessels created by God. He created each of us to serve and glorify
Him. Some of us choose to do as He created and do “every good work.” We are
vessels of honor, delighting our Master.
Others choose to do their own thing, live their own lives. And these are
vessels of dishonor in the Master’s eyes.
I’ve been both. If you’ve followed this devotional for a while, you may have
read that I spent twenty years on a quite meandering journey away from God. I
made poor choices. I followed the world and allowed myself to be sucked in by
its temporary pleasures. I was a dirty, useless vessel.
Then almost 23 years ago, I recommitted my life to God, and He cleansed that old
vessel and began to use it. Over the years, I’ve sometimes allowed a little
dirt to land, but I go immediately to the Lord, and He cleanses me again (1 John 1:9).
Our Lord God wants to use us. He invites us to participate in His
kingdom-building plan and serve Him gladly. But He wants clean vessels. Ones He
can honor and use with joy.
Are you a cleansed, honored vessel? If not, you can be. Just accept Jesus’ gift
of cleansing salvation. Delight your Father, and be a part of His plan.
Today’s scripture: Galatians 1:18-24
God changes lives. He defeats addictions. He calms anger. He repairs
relationships. He takes rebellious, sinful hearts and makes them white as snow.
And He sometimes takes the most defiant against Him or the most ambivalent
towards Him or the weakest and makes them His spokespeople.
Moses feared he wouldn’t be able to speak to Pharaoh. Paul actively sought to
destroy those who followed Christ, thereby destroying a new religious movement.
Corrie Ten Boom was in her sixties, frail from interment in a Nazi death camp.
Yet each of these became a powerhouse in proclaiming God’s truth.
On a quite lesser scale, I was a rebellious, fist-in-the-hand-of-God teenager
and young adult. I didn’t want to have anything to do with faith. Then I
recommitted my life to the Lord, and all I wanted to do was know Him better and
serve where He wanted me.
I never expected He’d use me to speak or write. I felt unworthy to do either.
Yet, God, in His mercy and grace, chose to give me the privilege of telling His
stories.
You may think your choices have somehow made you inadequate to be used by God
in a significant way. But that’s one of the great things about our God. He’ll
use the most broken vessel to do His will.
It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been. If you surrender your
life to Him, willing to do whatever He asks, He will use you. You may be a
Moses or a Paul. Or you may be the only Jesus your neighbors, friends, and
coworkers see. In either case, others will be pointed to Christ through you.
Today’s scripture: Galatians 1:13-14
Have you ever thought you’re not “good” enough to be used by God? Maybe you’ve
done things that shame you when you think of them. Or you deliberately turned
away from God in rebellion. Or you’ve made choices that hurt you or others.
How can God use me? you think.
Guess what? None of us is perfect. All of us have our flaws and failings. And
yet God chooses to use every one of us in His plan.
Paul persecuted those who chose to follow Christ. And he did it zealously,
hoping to wipe this new faith off the map.
Yet God transformed him and used him mightily.
I made choices that led me on a twenty-year journey away from my faith. I very
consciously chose to follow my own path and shook my fist in the face of my
loving Father.
Yet God welcomed me back with open arms and gave me the blessing of serving Him
through speaking and the arts.
We do not—none of us—deserve God’s grace and mercy, and yet He offers them
freely. And no matter where we’ve been, no matter what we’ve done, He will use
us as He builds His kingdom.
How amazing!
