TODAY IS…

a wonderful day to be used.

“Now He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.”  2 Corinthians 2:14b NLT

Much is written about allowing God to use us for His purpose.

The Bible itself instructs us to allow ourselves to be used, informs us that God will use us, and gives examples of how He uses people and things to accomplish His purpose.

Our responsibility is to willingly submit ourselves to being used by God as He sees fit. We are a tool that we must make available to Him to use when He wishes, and for the purpose He best feels we are suited for. If we have special talents or abilities, we must recognize them as gifts from God and ask for His guidance in using them to suit His purpose and not our own.

After all, “Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.” (Isaiah 10:15 NASB).

Perhaps our belief is that our talents and abilities are too simple for God to use.

Some of us may feel that we have not been blessed to the degree, and in the same way, as others. We may feel that we are of not much use to God. Fear not, for there are numerous examples in the Bible of God using very average people and very simple things to achieve very great purposes.

Through Elisha, God used a simple jar of olive oil to fill many other jars of olive oil to assist a widow who owed money to a creditor and was in danger of losing her sons to slavery.

When all the jars she had, plus all that her sons could, find were full, “She went and told the man of God, and he said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.’” (2 Kings 4:7 NIV).

With simple horns, God enabled Joshua to break down the walls of Jericho.

He used a clay jar to enable Jeremiah to provide an object lesson of God’s wrath.

With the water from a river God enabled Elisha to cure a man’s leprosy.

And, of course, with only five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus fed over 5,000 people.

The mother of Jesus was a simple peasant girl, and yet she was told, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.” (Luke 1:31 NASB).

Simple things and ordinary people.

It may be beyond our ability to comprehend just how God wishes to use us. It is only important that we willingly, and joyfully, make ourselves available to Him and pray for Him to use us as He desires.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson