Every life is precious. I phoned someone the other day – her entire plans for 2016 have been scuttled, as she has discovered she is pregnant. She is not married. The value of the life of her unexpected child is no less than you or me. I encouraged her with words which I hope were wise. “Continue in your job, embrace the new life that is forming within you. God has given you that life – and he/she is precious. Treasure your baby.” In a small voice she said, ‘thank you.’
Photo from everydayfamily.com
We don’t know what God has in store for that baby’s life. God has a unique and special plan for us and uses each of us differently.
I pondered Joseph’s life. What a self-sacrificing hero. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, stabbed in the back, unjustly thrown into jail. Eventually he was honoured and God used him to ensure that the nation of Israel would survive through one of the region’s most severe droughts.
But what for me is amazingly interesting is that Jesus did not come through the line of Joseph. He came through one of the brothers who had betrayed Joseph. Judah, was the one chosen by God to carry the line of Christ. Judah, one of Joseph’s betrayers – he had the idea to sell Joseph for 20 pieces of silver.
Genesis 37:26-28
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime.27 Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. 28 So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.
God used Judah, who had betrayed his brother Joseph, to carry the line of Christ.
He will use each of us for His purpose…
The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember…
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
Mary Magdalene was…
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer..AND
Lazarus was dead!
God can use you and He can use me!
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂