Don't count yourself out

. . a little girl. (2 Kings 5:2)

 

Have you ever looked at a famous painting, and at first glance, it appears to be almost ordinary? But then you look closer, and you see the artist’s use of shadow and light, perspective, and contrast—and the scene comes alive before your eyes! Today’s story about Naaman is like that. A little girl, a grizzly prophet, and a minor river—nothing too impressive, and yet they all work together in a miraculous way. They show that the small and the humble can bring great glory to the Lord.

Why is this? It’s because they aren’t prone to drawing attention to themselves. All they want to do is follow the Lord; they don’t worry about whether people see it or not. The scene with the little girl moves us because it comes from such an unexpected place, a place of purity and sincerity and simplicity.

Don’t you love how God reveals himself through unlikely people and circumstances? The Bible tells us about Gideon, the youngest of the least of the families of Israel, who leads his people to victory. There is Ruth, a widowed and impoverished foreigner, who wins the heart of a wealthy Israelite and becomes part of Jesus’ family tree. And there’s King David. This heroic leader was just a young shepherd boy when the Lord chose him.

Don’t think that God can’t use you! You may not be wealthy or powerful or famous. You may feel that you don’t have a lot of control over your circumstances, either. But none of that matters to God. In fact, you might be just the right person he is looking for. Just as he worked through a little girl to change the course of history, he can use you to bring powerful change to the people around you.

Whether you’re doing the dishes, shoveling snow, or filing papers, you can be a vessel of Jesus’ love and grace. A simple word of encouragement, spoken from a heart of love and trust, can do far more than you can imagine. Just ask that little girl who set Naaman on the road to healing!

“Lord, use me to reveal your love.”

from wau.org

Mission Field

Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. (Luke 5:10)

There’s a story about the British evangelist Smith Wigglesworth (1859–1947). He was riding a train to Wales one day. As the train neared his station, he got up to wash his hands in the restroom. While there, he prayed for just a few moments. When he returned to his seat, someone noticed that his face seemed to be shining with an extraordinary glow. “Sir,” he said, “you’ve convinced me of my need to repent!” Soon after, others in the carriage were exclaiming, “Who are you? You’ve convinced us all to repent!” 

The reaction of these travelers to Wigglesworth sounds a little like Peter’s words to Jesus: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). It wasn’t that Peter wanted Jesus to go away. It was that he was overwhelmed by Jesus’ power and goodness. 

It’s natural for us to react like this when we encounter the Lord. Perhaps the encounter has shown us our sin, and we are moved to repentance. Perhaps we are not accustomed to experiencing such an abundance of unconditional love. Or maybe we sense that God has a new calling for us, and we are afraid to take it up. As the Letter to the Hebrews says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

But look at Peter. He allowed himself to fall into Jesus’ hands, and it changed his life forever. No longer just a fisherman, he became a fisher of men and women as he grew into his role of leading the Church and encouraging his fellow apostles. It was a rocky road at first, but over time, Peter became a heroic, humble servant reverenced by millions of believers down through the ages.

God has an adventure set aside for you as well. It may not entail world travel or a place in the limelight, but it does involve a life lived for more than just yourself. He wants you to take up the call to catch people for his kingdom. And as you do—whether through evangelization or a life of intercession—you’ll find your horizons broadening, your heart growing warmer, and your life more purposeful. Who knows? Maybe your face will even shine as brightly as Smith Wigglesworth’s!

from wau.org