April 16, 2021
Now may the God of peace [the source of serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing to carry out His will and strengthen you [making you complete and perfect as you ought to be], accomplishing in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrew 13:20-21 NKJV)
My beloved child you are equipped by faith to carry out God’s plan for your life! (Hebrews 13:21) God has already equipped you with every good thing to carry out His will and strengthen you (making you complete and perfect as you ought to be), accomplishing in you that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever, amen. God created you depositing strengths, gifts, talents, and abilities that are necessary to what He planned for you to do from the foundations of the earth. (Ephesians 1:4-9) You also have weaknesses to make you entirely dependent upon God to carry out His plan. (2 Corinthians 12:9) God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity He restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives in Him. After God made that decision of what His children should be like, He followed it up by calling people by name. After He called them by name, He sets them on a solid basis with Himself. And then, after getting them established, He stays with them to the end, gloriously completing what He has begun. (Romans 8:29-30 Message)
Every experience in your life has been used by God to equip you to serve and do His will. Both the enjoyable and challenging times shape your character, mature you spiritually, train you to help and serve others. (Romans 5:3-4) God has a unique sense of humor; He chooses to use people with little in the way of credentials; in the world’s eyes. The world would call them unqualified. It appears the more challenges, difficulty, and pain you walk through, it makes you a candidate to be used by God to impact other’s lives. He uses those who have a calling and burden for hurting broken people.
Amos was one of many people God used to speak His Word (the truth) without the seemingly right credentials. If he were interviewing today for a high-ranking position with a ministry, he would likely not get far in the interview process. Why? Before God called Amos to be a prophet, he made his living as a shepherd and a fruit picker, honorable work for sure, however, it didn’t provide the kind of experience you would think one might need to preach to an entire nation. (Amos 7:14) That’s the way God works!
Amos was one of many who spoke God’s Truth without the right credentials. (Exodus 4:10) God used Moses, and he wasn’t much of a public speaker, and what about Gideon who was full of fear? (Judges 6:27, 36-40) Then there is Peter who was an ordinary fisherman, who was known to be a hot-head with extraordinary passion and Jesus had to fix his messes but think about it – isn’t that what He has done for you and me. (John 18:10) He turns our messes into messages! What about the Apostle Paul? (Acts 9:1-19) With his past, he couldn’t even make it past a background check! Amos like so many God chooses to use appeared to be unqualified by the world’s standards. Yet he preached a message that continues to be taught today. God still uses people who with little or no credentials – He uses people whom He has called and has a burden for the hurting and broken, that’s you! Step out in obedience and faith, completely relying on God’s grace and power! You are qualified! He equips those whom He calls.
