“Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you…I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a nation that is rebelling against me…I am sending you to say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says!’ And whether they listen or not—for they are rebels—at least they will know they have had a prophet among them.”
For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. But look, I have made you as hard and stubborn as they are. I have made you as hard as rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are such rebels.—Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel…
The angel of the LORD appeared to [Gideon] and said, “Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!”—“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? — Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
And He has said to me [Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. —But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me, and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.
As persons created by a Personal Creator, we are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ for His purposes. As children redeemed from the power of the Evil One to serve our Creator we are ‘God’s masterpiece’, created anew in Christ Jesus, ‘so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.’
Whatever He is calling me and you to today, He is well able to accomplish through us. It’s not about our ability but our willingness to listen and follow instructions ( : He’s got us covered!
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, … being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete [it] until the day of Jesus Christ. Phil.1:3, 6 NKJV
–LS