GOD USES THE BASE THINGS OF THIS WORLD
What a comfort to know that in our weakness, God's strength ever more shines. It's in those moments that we can really trust in God and believe that it's not about our efforts to gain His love and acceptance rather His nature as the God of Love, upon which we can rest.
In the book of Corinthians, Paul writes a letter to a church that is situated in a place that had a reputation for being carnal, lustful and licentious. Amidst all this, the apostle Paul encouraged them by saying that not many wise, mighty and noble are chosen, instead it is the base things of this world that the Lord chooses.
We can see that the criteria used in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 is also applied in many parts of the Bible especially in the Christmas story. We can find four particular persons in the book of Luke that would seem very unlikely to be eligible and yet were chosen to be the vessels in whom John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ would come into this world.
1. Zacharias and Elisabeth (The Faithful Ones)
In Luke 1:5-6 it says "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."
In the same way, we are also being tested by God. He tests us to see if our love for Him is conditional and whether our commitment to Him is dictated by how our society.
Do we remain faithful and still love God even when circumstances are not ideal?
Because of the faithfulness of this couple, God used them to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. God gave them a John.
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2. Mary (Willing to pay the price to yield to God)
In Luke 1:26-38, we can see an account of Mary (who was believed to be only 17 years old at that time) receiving a message from God through angel Gabriel that she will be bearing the Son of God.
Following this word would mean that she would lose the marriage that she is being set up for. It could also mean losing her life as she can be stoned to death if she is found pregnant not from her husband.
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The stakes are high and yet she was not deterred and said "be it unto me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). Because of obedience, she became the very vessel through which Jesus came through.
Today, God wants to birth the fullness of His purposes and it is not for those who will be tentative to follow God but for those who are willing to yield at any price.
3. Joseph (A man who could move with God)
Joseph, who was to be wed to Mary, could have filed for a divorce or worse could cause for Mary to be stoned to death because of her pregnancy. Being a just man, he planned to divorce her in secret so as not to cause further damage to Mary.
But when the angel of the Lord told him in a dream that it was the Holy Spirit that caused Mary to conceive a child, he stayed with her and did that which he was commanded to do. In several occasions, Joseph was instructed by God to move to different places with Mary and the infant Jesus and he obeyed faithfully without question and set aside his own desires and plans in life. His heart was set on protecting Jesus.
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Today, God is still in the process of birthing His purposes. And He will raise up men and women who will protect, preserve and further those purposes. But He can only use men and women who can move with Him in His times and seasons and where He wants to go.
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