Unlikely Suspects

Have you ever had one of those days where you felt overwhelmed and under qualified? I have on more occasions than I would like to admit. Truthfully, we all feel this way from time to time. And so, this week I jotted down a few thoughts concerning the possibly overwhelmed and most likely under qualified:

• Noah had never seen rain…much less an ocean
• Sarah had never been pregnant
• Joshua had never fought a battle or led a nation
• David had never killed a giant
• Josiah had never been king
• Nehemiah had never built a wall
• Esther had never been queen
• Jeremiah had never rebuked a nation
• Zechariah and Elizabeth had never been parents
• Come to think of it, Mary and Joseph had never been parents either  
• Most of Jesus’ disciples had never been chosen
• Paul had never preached a sermon
• James had never believed or led a church in a major city

So my friends, if you are battling a feeling of inadequacy, you are in good company. Throughout Scripture, there is a long line of individuals who probably felt under qualified, and maybe even undeserving of the door of opportunity the Lord had placed before them. Yet in each circumstance, gifts of grace were given so that the formerly unimaginable became a reality in the midst of their obedience. In the tapestry of God’s story, He repeatedly specializes in utilizing those who “had never” …so that in every circumstance, redemption continues to be the theme and Jesus is forever the hero.

In light of this, we could easily add [insert your name here] to the growing list of unlikely suspects through which God chooses to once again demonstrate His sufficiency. Good company my friends, good company indeed!