GOD USES WHAT THE WORLD CASTS ASIDE

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 New Living Translation

“Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world; things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.  As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.”

            This word from Paul is for all the Christians who feel they are not worthy of being used by Almighty God. It isn’t what you have or don’t have in the way of finances or material goods that matter, it’s what gifts he has given you and how you use them. The Lord gives gifts to all his children. It’s a matter of finding out what it or they are and seeking to use them with the Spirits assistance for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. That is an integral part of his will for your life.

            The interesting thing about all this is that it matters not how much or how little money you have, because money is inconsequential. Just a tool used by God to accomplish his will. It has no bearing on who he chooses to use. You can be the most powerful and influential man or woman on earth, but in spite of that, your power would still pale in comparison to the unlimited power of the God who created all things.

            The Lord uses the opposite of what the world would use. The world uses the most beautiful, most wealthy, most popular, strongest individuals to accomplish their purposes. Those individuals are financially compensated for their time and talent. God calls people who are not self-absorbed, but rather may think very little of themselves. God can only those who are willing to surrender control and be used, without compensation, to accomplish his purposes which are always for the betterment of the recipient.  So take heart brother / sister, you are of great value to the Lord and he wants to use you. Simply ask him to show you what your gifts are if you don’t already know and how they can be used for his glory. Then wait for the Holy Spirit to lead you. Whatever you ask according to his will for you he will do when the time is right. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

MY LETTER TO THE WORLD

1 Corinthians 1:21-22 New Living Translation

“Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.”

            Dear World: It’s become pretty apparent that you want to come up with your own plan of salvation, which can be completely understood and acceptable to you. The Gospel message is too far out, too mysterious, too otherworldly. You can’t possibly grasp the message in all its simplicity. You must have to dosomething to earn it. There must be something spectacular that needs to take place. In reality what  must be done is to lay your own life down and take second stage to an unseen deity. It boggles the mind. So what if this unseen deity isn’t real? Apparently you have to be able to experience it with your senses for it to be real. The fact is that either there is a God or there is not. To believe or not believe is a choice each individual must make. To not make a choice is to make one. By avoiding the topic you have made a choice. But are you willing to stake your own personal afterlife on it? There are two ways this can go. You will die and be either buried or cremated and that will be your last conscious thought forever. Or your spirit will be resurrected on the last day to face God’s judgment. It’s either or, one way or the other. Man thinks there has to be other options. There simply has to be. To be placed in the same category as rapists and murderers just because you reject the reality of Jesus Christ and his blood bought forgiveness from all sin simply isn’t fair. You reason that you’ve been a good person for the most part; however, God’s response to that is, “You were good by who’s standard, your own? No one is good except God.” The world has a myriad of questions, but faith isn’t based on facts or even answers to questions, because once answered there is always another question. As with God’s conversation with Job, God says to us, “Now I will speak and you will listen.” Why? Because we simply do not know … anything. The information we have amassed is useless in the face of eternity.  So to you I say, let down your guard and accept the possibility that there truly is a God and that he loves you more than you could ever imagine. His desire is that you willingly serve him so you can enter into a peaceful existence that will last throughout eternity. Just do it. You will try anything else to find something, but you don’t even know what that ‘thing’ is. You just want to be happy, at peace. You are either willing to release control and submit to a God who knows you better than you know yourself or you aren’t. Let go. For once in your life trust something that makes no logical, human sense. One word from God can change your scenery forever. He means you no harm, only good. It starts with a simple step taken, an acceptance that you might be wrong about this whole God thing. Won’t you consider receiving Christ into your heart and life today? A choice must be made one way or the other. You will have to live with your choices, make them good, sound choices not based on what you know but what you are willing to believe and place your faith and hope in the future in. Do as you must, but know that this decision will have eternal ramifications. May God’s perfect will for your life be done. rlkeller