GOD HAS THE UNCOMFORTABLE HABIT OF PLACING HIS HANDS ON THE WRONG PERSON

• A particular sporting goods company only hires salesmen who are six feet or more in

height.

• Look at the yearly financial reports of the men running major corporations and pictures

of graying, dignified, polished Madison Avenue types adorn the pages.

As I write, my mind races to two Middle Eastern countries where the “wrong people” are being

used of God to impact some of the toughest places on the earth with the gospel. Lacking

physical attractiveness, charisma, leadership ability, and higher education, these people are

unimpressive by the world’s standards, yet daunting in their impact.

“God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to

shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things… so that no one may

boast before Him.” (I Corinthians 1:27-29)

Commenting on the twelve chosen by Jesus, Dr. Mark Wessel observes:

“It was a strange group of men our Lord chose to be his disciples. Four of them were

fishermen, one a hated tax collector, another a member of a radical and violent political

party… all were laymen… Yet it was with these men that Jesus… disseminated his Good

News to the end of the earth.”aj

As I have pondered Jesus’ selection of these twelve very common men, it seems to me that

the only thing they had in common was an uncommon hunger for God (Judas excepted).

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord

looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7b)

Therefore, when you and I choose to work with the “wrong people” of this world who have

only their love for God as a drawing point, we may be surprised at:

• What God will do for our character, and

• What He may choose to do through them for the world.