God Chooses The Unlikely

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

We like to think that God thinks like us - but He doesn't. We have a limited perspective on life and the affairs of this life but God has an eternal perspective on all of creation for all time. Even a cursory reading of the Bible will reveal the disparity between God and man.

Take King Saul for example - 

[Samuel said] "And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?” And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?” - 1 Samuel 9: 20-21

[Samuel said] "Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. ... You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do.” So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart" - 1 Samuel 10: 6, 8-9

King Saul was chosen by God to rule Israel because the people wanted a king like all of the other countries. He was from a family with no reputation in the smallest tribe of the 12 tribes. Seems an odd choice, but as a friend used to say - "That's not odd - that's God"

Remember Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Gideon or Jesus disciples. All of them were ordinary people that God called to do extraordinary things.

"For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 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" - 1 Corinthians 1:26-27

Someone once said that God does not call the equipped, He equips the called. Sad to say -  the story about King Saul does not end well. Eventually, his pride supplanted his devotion to God and ... well you can read it ... 

"Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal. .... [Samuel told Saul] the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel. " - 1 Samuel 15:10-12, 26

The same happened to many of the others I named. Over time, their old nature dominated their choices and impacted their service to the Lord. I suspect that none of them ever thought it would happen to them - but, regrettably, it did. So what does this have to do with you?

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you." - Romans 8:5-9 

As Christians, the Bible says that we, too, are numbered among the Called. Each of us has a place in the Body. God decides what that place is, we don't. Our part is to yield our hearts to God's call. Fulfilling that purpose of our being in that place requires that our hearts be devoted to God. We cannot accomplish God's purposes on our own - apart from the power of God. King Saul decided that he knew better than God and he had a better plan not seeing his "good idea" was, in fact, disobedience and sin. I will, again, point you to my old friend Proverbs 3.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways  acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones." - Proverbs 3:5-8

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone