God’s Plans Override Our Ideas

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise…”(I Corinthians 1:27 NKJV)

God confounds our intellect when He uses debased things to carry out His intelligent operation. An excellent example is God’s sovereign use of Jonah to convert Nineveh.

Jonah hated Nineveh. Their people had oppressed Israel. Now God called Jonah, an Israelite, to witness to his enemies.

From start to end of the book of Jonah, Jonah carried a bitter grudge against the very people God desired to experience his mercy.

In sheer awe of God’s wrath, Nineveh immediately repents:

“Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.” (Jonah 3:10 NKJV)

God enjoyed to take pity on Nineveh; however, Jonah shared a different response:

“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.” (Jonah 4:1 NKJV)

Hatred propelled Jonah to run to Tarshish, and hatred hardened his heart to Nineveh’s revival. He hated the idea of Nineveh receiving salvation. Yet God chose this hateful person to deliver hope.

God doesn’t choose us by our skills or talents; He qualifies anyone whom He wills to accomplish His plan to receive glory for Himself.

Jonah shows us that God’s delight to receive glory exceeds the liberty of man. God doesn’t bend His plans to suit man’s feelings. He uses whomever, whenever and however.

He used a disobedient, unreliable son to be the chosen ancestor of the Messiah to convey God’s road of glory may even include unexpected potholes.*

He used a prostitute to save the spies of Israel to show His grace confounds our reason.**

He used a false prophet to bless His chosen people to say He can even use evil men to please His wants.***

God has called all his own to serve in bringing Him praise:

“…who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”(II Timothy 1:9 NKJV)

God saved you not to be a pet in His collection of souls, but a masterpiece of His wide scale operation to fulfill His wants.

Ephesians 2:10 puts it this way, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV)

If God has determined an event that involves our participation, He may use us even with our unwilling attitudes. Let us then see that our destiny is designed by God to glorify Him. And on that thought, let us want to complete it with a willing spirit.

*Gen 49:8-10
**Joshua 2
***Numbers 22-24

Where You Are on Purpose For a Purpose

You are where you are on purpose for a purpose.

Esther was queen of the largest empire in her age. Out of hundreds of women, she was chosen as the new wife for the King of Babylon.

Her rise to prestige was miraculous, but it was also providential. There arose a threat that impended doom over the existence of Jewish race.

Esther’s fatherly cousin believed it was not by chance Esther became queen. He felt her succession to the throne was the power to save their people.

For Esther to appeal before the king without permission could cause her death. Aware of this, Cousin Mordecai commented: For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”(Esther 4:14 NKJV)

Esther can remain silent on the threat on her people and inevitably watch them be annihilated. Or she could rise from apathy and become a force to make the difference.

You may not want to be where you are, but God has you where you for a purpose. You maybe the difference that will bring about significant change to your world.

Trust Jesus. You might be made to be the change where you are for such a time as now.

Destiny

“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you.” -Genesis 12:1

Abraham followed the still voice of God. The same still voice that Samuel heard in the night; the same still voice that Elijah heard after the whirlwind now called Abraham to venture forth and found the nation of Israel. The Voice wanted him to leave the safety of his family, to abandon the norm of his culture, to forsake the security of his homeland –to follow a promise. The promise to bless a people and the promise to free them of their sin.

The command from God to Abraham can sound bizarre. Leave all comfort to venture into uncertainty. Abraham most likely faced conflict with his family. The idea of following the direction of an unknown God probably seemed absurd to them. Yet Abraham obeyed God and did as God had spoken to him to do (Genesis 12:4).

What is God impressing on you to do that seems out of the comfort zone? Sometimes the very thing you don’t want to do is the precise path God wants you to tread.

Observe what God also tells Abraham in Genesis 12: “And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing”

God doesn’t send us anywhere without making a promise that he will use us and take care of us. In Luke 5, Jesus calls Peter to follow him; in addition he foretells to Peter what he will do: you will catch men. Remember that God is our loving Father and that he will not lead us somewhere that he would not assure us that he is in it.

Whether leaving our comfort zone is a conflict of our interest or a challenge of our fear, we should rely on the fact God has a definite purpose in the direction He chooses. He also makes a guaranteed promise that he will bless us. Its in the still small voice of God we hear the great call of our destiny.