Working Outside the Box
Read: Ezra 1:1-11
Now in the
first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by
the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia,
so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in
writing.” (Ezra 1:1 NASB)
We are not surprised or overly
concerned when we witness God using believers to accomplish a divine task. In fact, we rejoice along with them and
praise the Lord together. A much
different reaction occurs when we learn that God has used a person who appears
to be outside the mainstream of Christianity.
Can God use someone who is purely secular, an unbelieving friend, or
even a pagan ruler to fulfill his plans?
Would he use someone who was his enemy?
What do the Scriptures reveal about God “working outside the box?”
Consider Samson who was born into a
godly family. He became defiant, unruly,
disobedient, prideful; yet God used him to defeat the Philistines and rescue
the Jewish people.
God stirred up the armies of Assyria
to defeat the northern kingdom of Israel and take the people captive. Because of their idol worship and defiance of
God, He dispersed them to the point that the northern kingdom ceased to
exist. On more than one occasion God
used pagan kings and armies to accomplish his purpose and judgments.
Jesus certainly worked outside the
box in choosing the disciples. Among his
choices was Matthew (a hated tax collector), Simon the Zealot (who was noted
for stirring up trouble with Rome), and Judas Iscariot (who was an unbeliever
and traitor).
Since God is Sovereign, he has the
right and authority to work through whatever means available. On one occasion Jesus said, “If they
(followers) keep quiet, the stones along the road will cry out.” (Luke 19:40 NLT) This proves that nothing is outside God’s
power to control.
It behooves us as believers to
“think outside the box.” We are so prone
to operate through sacred rituals, formats, schedules, programs, and
traditions. The Lord is not restricted
to our set way of doing things. He does
not operate on preconceived ideas.
Is God using people (believers and
unbelievers) in your life to bring you closer to Him? Take time to “think outside the box
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