Who Is Used by God?

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

If we read the Bible as if it is a book of disconnected stories teaching moralistic and ethical messages on how to have our best life now, we have a tendency to think it’s all about us. We look at the heroes of the Bible and think that God used these men and women because of their greatness. But when we recognize that the Bible is a single story about God’s unfolding plan of redemption that finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, we look at the heroes of the Bible and understand that what made these men and women great was nothing other than the fact that God graciously choose to use them.

Who is the person that God chooses to use as an instrument of salvation and sanctification in His mighty right hand? It is the card-carrying “Triple-A member,” one who is –

• AWED by the glory of God
• AVAILABLE to the Spirit of God
• ACTING on the Word of God

God is in the business of taking common people and making them uncommon . . . taking weak people and making them strong . . . taking foolish people and making them wise . . . taking average people and making them great. In God’s economy, it is not those with great ability whom God calls into His service; rather, it is those who are awed by His glory, available to His Spirit, and acting on His Word, regardless of the cost or circumstance. Does this “Triple A” describe you today? Is this the confession of your life right now?

When we are awed by the glory of God, we know what Paul knew: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!” (Romans 11:33 ESV). When we are awed by the glory of God, we become available to the Spirit of God, who makes us willing to follow God wherever He leads us. This, of course, leads us to live lives acting on the Word of God.   

When we rightly read the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, we realize that God did not call great men and women into His service to expand His Kingdom. Rather, those ordinary men and woman — people like you and me, broken and marred by sin — were made great by God’s calling on their lives, simply because they were available to be used and acted on the words He had spoken to them. This is the person God uses.

How is with you today? Are you ready to go fishing . . . for people?

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!