God Uses Ordinary People
Goodness gracious, friend, come on up to this ol’ front porch and settle yourself into a chair that has listened to more tales than an ol’ crow that keeps struttin’ across the fence rail like it owns this whole place. I’m mighty glad you wandered in. Some truths just settle deeper out here where the breeze smells like cedar shavin’s and the porch rails hum like they are tryin’ to join the conversation. First Samuel 16:7 says, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” That there verse sets the stage for everything we’re about to chew on because God has always had a soft spot for hearts that lean His way.
Some mornings you wake up feeling like a rusty old pickup truck that needs a good runnin’ start just to be rollin’ out of the driveway. On days like that, you gotta be takin’ a deep breath and rememberin’ that God is already up, already workin’, and already walkin’ right there beside you. He plum knows your heart better than you know your own grocery list.
Take Saul, for example. Scripture introduces him like he’s the cover model for Israel’s Most Eligible Bachelor. Tall, handsome, rich family, basically the guy that never had to wait in line for anything. Then there is David, a sweet kid that played the harp and must’ve smelled plum like sheep. His own family forgot to invite him to the “choose the next king” party. If Saul was the shiny sports car, then, David was the dusty, trusty VW Beetle that somehow always starts.
But here’s the real twist. God wasn’t shoppin’ for somethin’ shiny. God was lookin’ for real surrendered. David’s psalms read like pages from a heart wide open as we read in Psalm 23: 1 and 3 where David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd… He renews my strength.” And when David went and messed up, and boy did he, he ran straight to God with trembling honesty. He wrote in Psalm 51:2-3, “Wash me clean.”
Saul puffed up. David knelt down. One got rejected. One got restored.
Second Chronicles 16:9 tells us that “God’s eyes roam the whole earth looking for hearts fully turned His way.” And Psalm 34:18 adds a fresh layer of truth tellin’ us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” God ain’t hunting for no perfect people. He’s plum lookin’ for willin’ ones.
Maybe today you plum feel more like “David in the sheep field” than “Saul in the spotlight.” Good. That’s exactly the kind of person God loves to use to shake up a generation.
Father, shape our hearts so they lean toward You. Make us humble, willing, and ready. Let Your strength shine through our cracks and Your love spill out of our lives in ways that point straight to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Friend, don’t you be lettin’ yesterday’s failures convince you that God has crossed your name off His list. He’s still shapin’ your heart while you are standin’ in the middle of your ordinary day. What feels small right now may become tomorrow’s miracle. Just as a sunrise surprises even the sleepiest ol’ barn owl that plum thought the night would last forever, God will bring fresh purpose into your life again. And long after the crickets quiet down and the breeze settles soft across the pasture, His hope will still be hummin’ mighty steady right inside your heart, remindin’ you that He delights in usin’ ordinary folks to do extraordinary things.
With joy,
Gwen
