Serving the Lord: God Wants to Use You - a 5 Day Devotional Sample

DAY 1 | HE USES ORDINARY PEOPLE

Have you ever felt overlooked? Most of us can answer yes to that question. Life moves quickly, and the world tends to celebrate the most gifted, the most visible, or the most successful. A careful look through the pages of Scripture reveals something quite different about how God works. He chooses ordinary people. Not because of what they bring to the table, but because their hearts are open to Him. This is great news. Hope for all of us who wonder if our lives could ever matter in the grand scheme of God’s story.

God has a history of using the ordinary to accomplish His purposes. Moses didn’t speak well, but God called him to lead a nation. David was just a shepherd boy when God anointed him as king. The disciples were fishermen, tax collectors, and regular men. And yet through them, the Gospel went out to the world. What we see as ordinary, God sees as available. He’s not looking for top-notch resumes; He’s looking for hearts surrendered to Him.

The Apostle Paul reminded the church in Corinth that this was by design.

“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).

That means God gets the glory because it’s His strength working through our weakness. We can’t take the credit.

There’s comfort in that. You don’t need to strive to impress God or earn His love. He already loves you. What He desires is that you and I walk with Him, trust Him, and be available for whatever He places before us. When you step into what God calls you to, even if it feels small or hidden, He will meet you there. His Spirit strengthens you for what’s ahead. You’re not left to figure it out on your own. He equips us to do what He’s called us to do, and that’s great news.

If you have been feeling too small, too flawed, or too ordinary to make a difference, be encouraged. That’s exactly the kind of person God loves to use. Stay close to Him. Keep your heart soft and let Him shape your life into something that points others to Jesus.

To Learn More About Pastor Ed Taylor's Book, Ordinary Servant, Click Here.

GUIDED PRAYER:

Father, thank You for reminding me that You don’t require greatness, just faithfulness. I give You my heart again today. Use my life in whatever way brings You glory. Help me not to hide behind what I see as my shortcomings, but to walk in quiet trust, knowing You are the One who works through me.

Amen.