THANKFUL

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Lord, You choose the weirdest, strangest, most dysfunctional people to be Your followers. You certainly didn’t choose them for their talents. For most, people skills were not their forte either. People who know me wholeheartedly agree. Your Bible does not sugarcoat or hide the flaws and failures of Your people. Reviewing the stories of some of the “saintly” characters recorded in Hebrews 11, faith’s “Hall of Fame,” makes me wonder how You could use them to further Your kingdom. Abraham failed to honor his wife Sarah before kings, Isaac tried to manipulate God’s will, and who could justify the lies and deceptions of Jacob’s sons. Rahab, the “lady of the night?” David, the adulterer and murderer. Solomon with his 700 wives and 300 girlfriends—what’s this nonsense of Solomon’s wisdom? All these actions of God’s people make the Kardashians look Amish. In addition, carefully examining Your genealogy, we see flawed people who we would be uncomfortable having over for Thanksgiving. Yet with all these people , You saw something in them that greatly pleased You: they were willing to follow You and obey what You commanded. You did what they could not do. You turned their weaknesses into their strength. You transformed their fears into a holy boldness. And the greatest miracle of all, You changed their hardened hearts into conduits of Your Love and Grace, so much so that they changed the world. We too hope to please You, Lord, as we’re willing to let You use our peculiar traits to change our world. I too want to please You, Lord. May I be willing to allow You to use my peculiarities and my flaws to make a difference in the world around me (2 Corinthians 12:8,9).

You have me Jesus, flaws and all. I’m Yours. Amen.