ALL - Guest Blog
I am beginning to see this amazing picture of who the people of God are.
We are not a group of people who are full of all these amazing talents and gifts, or a group of people that are full of perfections and strengths chosen by God to do this important work.
No. I am seeing some plain, ordinary people who are full of faults sometimes and failings sometimes. We have messy pasts and messy lives. So truly, it is not what God’s chosen people are bringing to the table, but it is what Jesus is bringing to the table.
So, we have been chosen to face circumstances and obstacles by this amazing, talented, gifted, powerful God. He brings all of who he is to our table and nothing else is needed.
The reality is that he doesn’t even need a willing vessel. He could totally write us out of the picture. However, He chooses to use a willing vessel even though we are not needed in the equation.
He wants to use us; He the Creator wants to use us — His creation. His particular creation that was made IN HIS IMAGE! He chooses to use us. What an honor!
To think that the God of the universe, who is self sufficient, chooses to use us in spite of our lack of character, flaws and short comings.
And when we look at the circumstances and it shows how in adequate we are....
I mean seriously—Sarah is too old. Her body is past the time. And her mind tells her that every minute of every day. She can’t hide from the fact that her body is not only too old, it never had produced life when she was in her prime. Now it’s just too late.
Do you think she wanted to share her husband with Hagar? A younger woman? I don’t think she did. She did not offer Hagar before the promise. But when she compared herself to the promise and looked at her offering—a dead barren body— she found she was deficient! And she needed to help God out. After all He promised her husband a son.
Something beyond her ability.
Jesse did not even see enough value in his youngest son to call him in from tending the sheep- to see the Prophet! His own father did not see any potential in David. He was too young, too inexperienced, he wasn’t the oldest, the tallest, or the most handsome—he was deficient of all the qualifications Jesse thought was needed to be a king.
Moses—my goodness...why wasn’t he chosen when he lived In the palace? Surely during that time he was worthy and had some callings. But forty years after he resigned and ran away? Qualifications: he has been out of the country taking care of Jethro’s daughter and sheep. Anything he has been doing was for his father-in-law's land and holdings. Moses spent 40 years away from the Hebrews and their God!
The Lord has to introduce himself to Moses—how is that for unqualified?! He does not even know who the voice is that is speaking out of the burning bush!
Now what do all these people have in common? They answered the call, they said yes, they had their faith stirred by a Supernatural God. And then God's strength is made perfect in their weakness. In our weakness...when we are weak. When we are deficient, He is not.
So, as we look toward our overwhelming circumstances we should remember that it is not how we measure up against them but how Jesus measures up against them. It is the fact that in all of our deficiencies we are not empty handed. Because Jesus himself steps up to the circumstances.
Omnipresent.
Omnipotent.
Omniscient.
All places, all power, all knowing....
All, all, all—that is our King. Your problem has to bow down to all He is! All His power! All His knowledge! All His presence! All of Him! All He brings to the table!
About 22 years ago everything I had built up in a ministry, a ministry that I had been involved with for 10 years, suddenly fell apart. People were involved. People were hurt on all sides. And I was devastated.
I told the Lord, "I love You but I don’t like Your people. They are mean."
7 years ago, my career that I had poured everything into and built up came under attack. And for the last 7 years has been under attack. They destroyed our reputation, they destroyed what we built.
And again I found myself angry and defeated. And again I found myself at the table looking deficient.
But you know what I realized? Yes I am deficient in most ways. But the one that I represent is not. The one that loves me, holds my future, He is not.
So at some point, I have to realize that He has a plan and I am part of it. And when I am short, I need to look at the table and remember I am not there alone...HE is there! And He is not ever deficient! He speaks and worlds without end appear. The Sun that He placed in the solar system is still there doing its job. He is not deficient of whatever it takes, or that we are in need of.
Because he is the God of "ALL".
Oh, how I love Him!
Melissa Bowers
We are not a group of people who are full of all these amazing talents and gifts, or a group of people that are full of perfections and strengths chosen by God to do this important work.
No. I am seeing some plain, ordinary people who are full of faults sometimes and failings sometimes. We have messy pasts and messy lives. So truly, it is not what God’s chosen people are bringing to the table, but it is what Jesus is bringing to the table.
So, we have been chosen to face circumstances and obstacles by this amazing, talented, gifted, powerful God. He brings all of who he is to our table and nothing else is needed.
The reality is that he doesn’t even need a willing vessel. He could totally write us out of the picture. However, He chooses to use a willing vessel even though we are not needed in the equation.
He wants to use us; He the Creator wants to use us — His creation. His particular creation that was made IN HIS IMAGE! He chooses to use us. What an honor!
To think that the God of the universe, who is self sufficient, chooses to use us in spite of our lack of character, flaws and short comings.
And when we look at the circumstances and it shows how in adequate we are....
I mean seriously—Sarah is too old. Her body is past the time. And her mind tells her that every minute of every day. She can’t hide from the fact that her body is not only too old, it never had produced life when she was in her prime. Now it’s just too late.
Do you think she wanted to share her husband with Hagar? A younger woman? I don’t think she did. She did not offer Hagar before the promise. But when she compared herself to the promise and looked at her offering—a dead barren body— she found she was deficient! And she needed to help God out. After all He promised her husband a son.
Something beyond her ability.
Jesse did not even see enough value in his youngest son to call him in from tending the sheep- to see the Prophet! His own father did not see any potential in David. He was too young, too inexperienced, he wasn’t the oldest, the tallest, or the most handsome—he was deficient of all the qualifications Jesse thought was needed to be a king.
Moses—my goodness...why wasn’t he chosen when he lived In the palace? Surely during that time he was worthy and had some callings. But forty years after he resigned and ran away? Qualifications: he has been out of the country taking care of Jethro’s daughter and sheep. Anything he has been doing was for his father-in-law's land and holdings. Moses spent 40 years away from the Hebrews and their God!
The Lord has to introduce himself to Moses—how is that for unqualified?! He does not even know who the voice is that is speaking out of the burning bush!
Now what do all these people have in common? They answered the call, they said yes, they had their faith stirred by a Supernatural God. And then God's strength is made perfect in their weakness. In our weakness...when we are weak. When we are deficient, He is not.
So, as we look toward our overwhelming circumstances we should remember that it is not how we measure up against them but how Jesus measures up against them. It is the fact that in all of our deficiencies we are not empty handed. Because Jesus himself steps up to the circumstances.
Omnipresent.
Omnipotent.
Omniscient.
All places, all power, all knowing....
All, all, all—that is our King. Your problem has to bow down to all He is! All His power! All His knowledge! All His presence! All of Him! All He brings to the table!
About 22 years ago everything I had built up in a ministry, a ministry that I had been involved with for 10 years, suddenly fell apart. People were involved. People were hurt on all sides. And I was devastated.
I told the Lord, "I love You but I don’t like Your people. They are mean."
7 years ago, my career that I had poured everything into and built up came under attack. And for the last 7 years has been under attack. They destroyed our reputation, they destroyed what we built.
And again I found myself angry and defeated. And again I found myself at the table looking deficient.
But you know what I realized? Yes I am deficient in most ways. But the one that I represent is not. The one that loves me, holds my future, He is not.
So at some point, I have to realize that He has a plan and I am part of it. And when I am short, I need to look at the table and remember I am not there alone...HE is there! And He is not ever deficient! He speaks and worlds without end appear. The Sun that He placed in the solar system is still there doing its job. He is not deficient of whatever it takes, or that we are in need of.
Because he is the God of "ALL".
Oh, how I love Him!
Melissa Bowers
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