Greg Laurie Daily Devotion - Aug. 31, 2009

Monday, August 31, 2009

Unqualified?

And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?"
—Acts 4:7

When Peter and John were brought before the religious leaders of their day, it was a source of amazement that ordinary fishermen were so well-versed in the Scriptures and, more importantly, in the understanding of them. They appeared to have more understanding in the Word of God than even the rabbis, the trained professionals. How was this so? "They had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).

There are kids who are a part of our church and part of what we call the SWAT team, which is an acronym for Students with a Testimony. I have seen these teens go out and share the gospel and give great answers to hard questions that nonbelievers ask them. How can they do it? It is because they have been with Jesus, and God can use ordinary people that spend time in His presence.

The Bible includes example after example of people God used whom we might describe as "unqualified," yet they were mightily used by the Lord. Noah was a great of man of faith who built the ark, but he got drunk. Abraham was a liar on more than one occasion. Jacob was a conniver and a schemer. Rahab was a prostitute. Jeremiah and Timothy were considered too young. David committed adultery. Moses was a murderer. Elijah was suicidal at one point. Jonah ran from God. Peter denied Christ. The disciples fell asleep when they were praying. The Samaritan woman was divorced more than once. Timothy had an ulcer. John the Baptist ate bugs. And Lazarus, well, he was dead at one point.

That is not to condone what these people did, but it is to say that if we were honest, we would have to acknowledge that God used every one of these people. Why could He not use you?

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