Using the Ordinary to Accomplish the Extraordinary
Using the Ordinary to Accomplish the Extraordinary
In the 19th century, George Mueller faced an impossible task. With no steady income or resources, he felt called by God to start an orphanage. Every day brought the same daunting question: how would he feed and provide for these children? Yet Mueller chose obedience over comfort, and each day provision came in supernatural ways. This ordinary man's simple "yes" to God changed thousands of orphan children's lives.
This story perfectly illustrates how God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things - not by human strength, but by divine power. As we approach Christmas, we see this same pattern in the lives of Mary and Joseph, two ordinary people given an extraordinary responsibility.
Why Does God Choose Ordinary People?
Scripture is filled with unassuming people who said yes to God's call and changed the world. From Gideon to Ruth, from David to Esther, these stories demonstrate that God doesn't make decisions as humans do. While man looks at outward appearance, God looks at the heart.
When God looked at Mary and Joseph's hearts, He saw an unassuming couple ready for the task ahead. Their story teaches us that God does not call the qualified - He qualifies the called.
The Ordinary Town of Nazareth
Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, a small town that never appears in Old Testament accounts of heroes or in historical records by writers like Josephus. This absence meant one thing: nothing good had ever come from Nazareth.
John's Gospel captures this sentiment perfectly. When Philip told Nathanael they had found the Messiah - "Jesus of Nazareth" - Nathanael's response was immediate: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip's wise reply offers us a model for responding to skeptics: "Come and see."
Nazareth sat off the main travel routes, so insignificant that travelers avoided it altogether. This isolation created a community lacking polished speech, cultural influence, or broader identity. Growing up in such an environment makes it easy to accept smallness as destiny and live down to limitations rather than up to God-given potential. Yet this is exactly where God chose this ordinary couple. He didn't select powerful people from Jerusalem or Rome, but a young couple from the place everyone else dismissed.
The name "Nazareth" derives from the Hebrew root word "nsr," meaning "shoot" or "branch." Isaiah 11:1 prophesied about the coming Messiah: "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit." Theologians believe Nazareth received its name because descendants of David had settled there. How fitting that in this humble village, overlooked by kings and forgotten by empires, God preserved a remnant of David's line. The very place people mocked would become where the Son of God was formed in a virgin's womb.
The Ordinary Class of People
Joseph and Mary held no positions of prominence. Joseph was a carpenter - honest and hardworking, but not wealthy or famous. He simply worked with his hands, providing what he could. Mary was a young woman with no financial assets, social standing, or pedigree that would draw attention. Yet this is who God chose. This humble carpenter and unassuming young woman became the couple entrusted with raising the Messiah.
Luke's Gospel reveals their financial situation through a detail often overlooked. When presenting Jesus at the temple, they offered "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." According to Levitical law, this was the offering for those who "cannot afford a lamb."
Joseph and Mary couldn't afford a lamb for the sacrifice, yet they were holding in their arms the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Their limitation became part of God's perfect plan.
First Corinthians 1:26-29 explains God's strategy: "Consider your calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong... so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."
God is looking for your obedient yes, not your clever excuse. True devotion isn't measured by what we can spare, but by a heart willing to say yes even in our limitations.
The Ordinary Life of Obedience
Mary and Joseph could have given countless reasons to walk away from God's call. Their "yes" wasn't easy, convenient, or comfortable. Consider the real-life thoughts they battled:
How Did Mary and Joseph Respond?
Despite overwhelming circumstances, both Mary and Joseph chose obedience. Mary's response to the angel Gabriel was simple yet profound: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). Joseph, upon learning through a dream that Mary's child was from the Holy Spirit, "did as the angel of the Lord commanded him" (Matthew 1:24).
Their ordinary obedience became the seed God used for extraordinary miracles. Through their faithful "yes," God brought forth the most extraordinary event in history - the birth of Jesus.
Life Application
Just as Mary and Joseph said yes despite their limitations, God is calling you to respond with obedience right where you are. Your simple yes could be the next miracle God wants to use. Don't let your perceived lack of qualifications, resources, or perfect circumstances prevent you from saying yes to God's call on your life.
This week, challenge yourself to say yes to God in one specific area where you've been hesitant due to feelings of inadequacy or fear. Remember, God uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary - and that includes you.
Questions for Reflection:
In the 19th century, George Mueller faced an impossible task. With no steady income or resources, he felt called by God to start an orphanage. Every day brought the same daunting question: how would he feed and provide for these children? Yet Mueller chose obedience over comfort, and each day provision came in supernatural ways. This ordinary man's simple "yes" to God changed thousands of orphan children's lives.
This story perfectly illustrates how God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things - not by human strength, but by divine power. As we approach Christmas, we see this same pattern in the lives of Mary and Joseph, two ordinary people given an extraordinary responsibility.
Why Does God Choose Ordinary People?
Scripture is filled with unassuming people who said yes to God's call and changed the world. From Gideon to Ruth, from David to Esther, these stories demonstrate that God doesn't make decisions as humans do. While man looks at outward appearance, God looks at the heart.
When God looked at Mary and Joseph's hearts, He saw an unassuming couple ready for the task ahead. Their story teaches us that God does not call the qualified - He qualifies the called.
The Ordinary Town of Nazareth
Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, a small town that never appears in Old Testament accounts of heroes or in historical records by writers like Josephus. This absence meant one thing: nothing good had ever come from Nazareth.
John's Gospel captures this sentiment perfectly. When Philip told Nathanael they had found the Messiah - "Jesus of Nazareth" - Nathanael's response was immediate: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip's wise reply offers us a model for responding to skeptics: "Come and see."
Nazareth sat off the main travel routes, so insignificant that travelers avoided it altogether. This isolation created a community lacking polished speech, cultural influence, or broader identity. Growing up in such an environment makes it easy to accept smallness as destiny and live down to limitations rather than up to God-given potential. Yet this is exactly where God chose this ordinary couple. He didn't select powerful people from Jerusalem or Rome, but a young couple from the place everyone else dismissed.
The name "Nazareth" derives from the Hebrew root word "nsr," meaning "shoot" or "branch." Isaiah 11:1 prophesied about the coming Messiah: "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit." Theologians believe Nazareth received its name because descendants of David had settled there. How fitting that in this humble village, overlooked by kings and forgotten by empires, God preserved a remnant of David's line. The very place people mocked would become where the Son of God was formed in a virgin's womb.
The Ordinary Class of People
Joseph and Mary held no positions of prominence. Joseph was a carpenter - honest and hardworking, but not wealthy or famous. He simply worked with his hands, providing what he could. Mary was a young woman with no financial assets, social standing, or pedigree that would draw attention. Yet this is who God chose. This humble carpenter and unassuming young woman became the couple entrusted with raising the Messiah.
Luke's Gospel reveals their financial situation through a detail often overlooked. When presenting Jesus at the temple, they offered "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." According to Levitical law, this was the offering for those who "cannot afford a lamb."
Joseph and Mary couldn't afford a lamb for the sacrifice, yet they were holding in their arms the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Their limitation became part of God's perfect plan.
First Corinthians 1:26-29 explains God's strategy: "Consider your calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong... so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."
God is looking for your obedient yes, not your clever excuse. True devotion isn't measured by what we can spare, but by a heart willing to say yes even in our limitations.
The Ordinary Life of Obedience
Mary and Joseph could have given countless reasons to walk away from God's call. Their "yes" wasn't easy, convenient, or comfortable. Consider the real-life thoughts they battled:
- This wasn't part of their plan - They were preparing for a simple life of marriage, work, and eventually family
- It would destroy their reputation - Who would believe Mary's story of conception by the Holy Spirit?
- It would cost them relationships - Friends wouldn't understand, family might distance themselves
- They couldn't afford it - Joseph wasn't wealthy, and they weren't financially prepared
- They weren't qualified - How do you raise the Son of God?
How Did Mary and Joseph Respond?
Despite overwhelming circumstances, both Mary and Joseph chose obedience. Mary's response to the angel Gabriel was simple yet profound: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). Joseph, upon learning through a dream that Mary's child was from the Holy Spirit, "did as the angel of the Lord commanded him" (Matthew 1:24).
Their ordinary obedience became the seed God used for extraordinary miracles. Through their faithful "yes," God brought forth the most extraordinary event in history - the birth of Jesus.
Life Application
Just as Mary and Joseph said yes despite their limitations, God is calling you to respond with obedience right where you are. Your simple yes could be the next miracle God wants to use. Don't let your perceived lack of qualifications, resources, or perfect circumstances prevent you from saying yes to God's call on your life.
This week, challenge yourself to say yes to God in one specific area where you've been hesitant due to feelings of inadequacy or fear. Remember, God uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary - and that includes you.
Questions for Reflection:
- What limitations or "disqualifications" have you been using as excuses to avoid saying yes to God?
- In what area of your life is God asking for your obedient yes, even though it feels overwhelming or uncomfortable?
- How might your current circumstances - however ordinary they seem - be exactly where God wants to use you for His extraordinary purposes?
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