Weak vs. Mighty

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence."

~1 Corinthians 1:27-29~

My new years resolution for 2013 was to read through all the letters in the New Testament (Romans to Jude), a chapter a day. The letters are very fasconating to me and I love how easily put they are for the most part. :) There is a lot of applicable lessons that I can use in everyday life. On Thursday I finished Romans and today I am starting 1 Corinthians. I must confess; I am here in Minnesota and we have been so busy with family that I have neglected my bible studies for a couple days. :( Today is the coldest (high of -4) so we are staying inside for the day and so I have time to spare. :) Anywho, I came across this verse and really liked it.

When I read these verses, I thought of David. He was an unattractive, small, inferior, young teenager who had done nothing significant with his life other than keep watch over the sheep. He was also the youngest of his tall, burly, attractive brothers which made it even worse. In other words, David was small and insignificant. However, God used him greatly! David was a big part of Isreal's history and he contributed much to the Bible. If it weren't for him, the Psalms would not exist. Goliath would not have been defeated, and he was also known as the greatest King in Israel's history! The Lord used him mightily. Throughout the Bible, God used men coming from all different backgrounds; primarily the poor and insignificant in the world's eyes.The world expects the heroes of the world to be wealthy, attractive, and powerful. Whereas God is pleased with using the "weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty." John the Baptist is another good example of how God uses the weak things of the world for His glory. Although John was spiritually strong, he was weak in the way that he was poor. John lived in the wilderness, ate honey and locusts all to simply preach the Word of God to the people. When Jesus picked his disciples he did not go into the temple and pick the knowledgable, wise and holy priests. He sought his followers among the poor fishermen, the despised tax collectors, the doctors, etc.

However, it is truly amazing to me that the most perfect example is Christ's birth into this world. Jesus could have come like the Jews expected Him; majestically in royal clothing, on a valiant steed. That would have been like any other king, though. Jesus, as humble as He is, came as a weak baby lying in a manger, born into a poor family. His humble birth brought surprise to many, but it is truly humbling for us.

The way God works is not how we work, and it is definitely not how the world works. the world expects the rich and popular things to prosper not the inferior and weak things. Jesus very well had the power to put on a show the day of His birth, but He did not. The Lord works in marvelous ways! :) If you are feeling insignificant or you have a "nobody cares about me attitude" just remember that God has the best plan for you and your future. Just trust in Him and allow Him to use you every step of your life with Him! :)