Throughout the Word, we see God doing mighty works through ordinary people. Imperfect people…weak individuals…slow to action…reticent to respond initially, because there is always someone more qualified, eloquent or skilled than you or me. Then, too, there is always the battle to walk through that door of fear that often stymies us.
While on the mission field, Sue Gunsteens (pictured below) and I ran a medical clinic. Sue was qualified and skilled and did the job well. On the other hand, I was just a simple “bush nurse” with basic training and understanding of the human body. Yet, on every occasion that Jay and Sue and their family were NOT in the village, there would be some catastrophic event that I was called upon to “fill in”.
For example, the 8-year-old girl that fell out of the mango tree and the entire village came screaming through my front door holding her arm with the sharp bone protruding through the skin!! In my panic, I could hear my husband, Ralph, saying behind me, “God could use a stick, Jackie, but He’s chosen you!” Taking a quick glance, I realized no X-rays were needed to see if it was broken! And in the jungle, of course, none was available!
Setting that arm and casting it was excruciating for both this little girl and myself! Stepping up to the plate …because there was no one else, and I guessed that I was one step up from no help at all…I proceeded to cry out to God, first, with all my inadequacies… and then, through my fear, took the arm in my hand and pulled it quickly toward me to set the broken bone. To my amazement the bone snapped right back into place! That was God! The astonishment could be read on both of our faces! Together that little girl and I, repaired the damage and fashioned a cast that would keep that arm immobile for it to heal.
Years ago, I was given a list of simple people called to do extraordinary things. It was sent my way to encourage me to “keep on keeping on”. Consider these:
Moses stuttered!
Jacob was a liar.
Noah got drunk.
Abraham was too old.
David had an affair.
David was too young.
Solomon was too rich.
Jonah ran from God.
Sampson had long hair.
Elijah was burned out.
Naomi was a widow.
Esther was a hiding Jew.
Gideon and Thomas doubted.
Moses, Peter and Paul had short-tempers.
Lazarus was dead!
Peter was fearful of death.
John Mark was rejected by Paul.
Because God is God, He does not need to rely on you or me. Actually, we have nothing to offer God! His power made perfect in our yieldedness to Him is all we have. I was reading the book of II Corinthians this morning. In Chapter 12, I read, “My grace is sufficient for you, Jackie, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I certainly qualify!
SOOO, then, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power can rest on me. That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong”!
Are you encouraged? I am…
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
