“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
1 Corinthians 1:27-29
God’s perspective, values, and plans are so different from ours. Like most of us, Christ’s disciples were impressed by outward appearance. Surely, they thought, if a man enjoys health, wealth, and prosperity, he must have a good “spiritual report card” from God (Matthew 19:23-25). Not so. While man looks on the outward appearance, God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). While man needs much to accomplish much, God is not so limited. In fact, God deliberately and intentionally chooses to use very little to accomplish positively stupendous things. He chose Israel, the least of all peoples to bless the world by representing Him and His laws (Deuteronomy 7:7). He chose to use a very small army under Judge Gideon to defeat Israel’s powerful oppressors (Judges 7). He chose David, the least of the sons of Jesse to rule His covenant nation (1 Samuel 16). When God became a man, He fed thousands of hungry people one afternoon with a little boy’s sack lunch (John 6). Not only can our God do much with little, He can do much with absolutely nothing! At a point somewhere in the finite past, God brought the entire created order, in all of its wonder and complexity, into being out of literally nothing (Hebrews 11:3).The great apostle Paul was confident that God will not only supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19), but that He will cause even us, in all our frailty and weakness, to accomplish great things for His glory (John 14:12). When we consider what God has already done with little or with nothing, we are compelled to believe Him, with “joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). Be blessed and encouraged today!
Pastor John
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