It is incredible how God wants people, He wants us, to be involved in His plans and purposes. I have been thinking of the life of Moses and how God used him as His instrument to free people from Egyptian slavery. The Lord said to Moses "Now, therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharoah that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt" (Exodus 3:9-10, NKJV).
As you dig deeper into these passages you can see that Moses understands he is not capable to do this on his own power. God called Moses anyway. Moses recognized, that apart from God, the task was too big. Moses is one of many Old Testaments examples, that demonstrates a completely surrendered life God. When we realize we are wholly reliant on God, and uncapable in our own power, that is when God uses us most effectively. God called many people throughout Scripture to be instruments of God's plans and He is still calling us today!
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21, NIV)
Dennis Kinlaw wrote something that spoke to me and I hope it speaks to you as well. "The Good Shephard commands his sheep to follow Him! Following Christ is an all-engaging commitment of one's life and heart. Jesus says that this is how it must be; he must be the leader and controller of one's life. Therefore, we must have holy hearts. The human desire is to manage our own lives; we are hesitant to release control because we might face unexpected demands or unpleasantness. But we are never safe until we have taken our hands off the control knob and have forfeited our right to ourselves, so that Jesus is in full control.
If Jesus gains the right to spend us the way he pleases, there will be miracles in our lives. Just as he broke five loaves and two fish, providing food to the multitude, so there will be fruit in our own lives. We will live as Jesus, who gave up his life for his sheep.
For every person there comes a day when Jesus says, "Follow me." Have you come to the place where you are ready to be a living sacrifice? Let Christ spill you, use you, and pour you out in the way he pleases. Let Jesus give you to whom he will. Take your hands off your life, and let him put his hands on your life.
There is a world out there. Jesus has shown us the way to win it: his Father sent him to lay down his life. Now he is sending you" (Kinlaw).
References
Kinlaw, Dennis. This Day With the Master: 365 Daily Meditations. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002.
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