Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: REFUGE (08/29/19)
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TITLE: He Can Use Even Me | Previous Challenge Entry
By Carolyn Ahrens
09/04/19 -
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When I get down and out…when I’m fighting within myself about not being good enough to do something that I feel lead to do, I must reflect on some of the people that God used to fulfill his will. They were by No means perfect.
Let’s look at Abraham, the father of all nations. He lied and told the king that his wife Sarah was his sister, then he slept with his wife’s maidservant to rush along the son that God had promised instead of waiting on God’s timing.
Jacob was a liar, deceiver…basically a scoundrel if you will. He deceived his dying father Isaac by making him think he was his brother Esau in order to trick him into getting his brother’s birthright.
How about Moses. Now everyone has heard of Moses…remember, he was known for parting the Red Sea. He was a murderer and had a speech problem, yet God still used him to deliver his people Israel, out of bondage from the Pharaoh in Egypt!
What about King David? He was a man after God’s own heart, yet he committed adultery, lied and committed murder too!
Then there was Peter, one of Jesus 12 disciples. He denied knowing Jesus 3 times when Jesus needed him the most… but Jesus called Peter the “rock” on whom he’d build his church.
Now Paul…well…you’d think that there would be No way God would use Paul. He persecuted the Christians nonstop. He gave his consent to Stoning Stephen, he traveled from city to city seeking out Christians to have them put in jail or killed. He believed he was doing the will of God, protecting God’s interest you could say, in making sure people lived by the law and not become followers of Jesus. Followers of Jesus have eternal life saved by him shedding his blood in our place, for our sins, on the cross. This was a total contrast to living by the law and Paul did everything he could to stop Christians, but God still used him. Jesus made a believer of Paul when Jesus blinded and spoke to Paul (after Jesus crucifixion) on Damascus road while on his way to persecute more Christians. God used this persecutor, this bounty hunter of sorts, to take the Gospel to Gentiles like us. God did the most amazing thing in Paul. Without Paul, I wonder who could have been as courageous and withstood the beatings and imprisonments like Paul did? Paul found refuge in Jesus… in the Lord and we can too, no matter what we’ve done.
As I sat and looked down the church pews at all the different faces, I found myself wondering if anyone had a past worse than mine.
My flesh tells my mind, you’ve done this and remember when you did that? How do you hide from yourself?
The devil wants me to keep looking back so I can’t move forward…keeping me in bondage within myself. This can hinder doing God’s will for my life. When I find myself dwelling on all that I’ve done wrong, the only way I can snap out of it is to find refuge in the bible…reading God’s word about all the people he used that had a past that I relate to. Jesus is our refuge, our safe haven who we can run too. With all the horrible things I’ve done, I relate to King David, to Peter and Paul in the bible.
He can use even me…He can use even you.
I believe God uses us to help others that may be going through what we’ve went through, so we can be a refuge to them…a shining light in the darkness…to help them understand that Jesus can save them from their self, just as he did for me. Just ask him…believe in him and he will set you free.
NKJV - Romans 10:13 “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”.
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I enjoyed this piece,
Blessings~