by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.”

Joshua 2:1–6

God delights in using the weak to accomplish His work, because He is glorified.

Aesop once told a fable about the importance of kindness that went like this:

Once when a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running up and down upon him; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him. “Pardon, O King,” cried the little Mouse: “forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?” The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go. Some time after the Lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters, who desired to carry him alive to the King, tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, sent up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. “Was I not right?” said the little Mouse.

The moral of the story is that “little friends may prove great friends.” While Aesop was known for his children’s stories of morality, the principles behind his stories are good for us as well. In our Christian lives, Aesop’s principle could be stated as, “little friends can accomplish great things through Christ.”

Have you ever seen a small child giving a quarter or a few coins in the offering at church? As adults, we mostly think the act is cute, but inconsequential. Yet our mindset on the matter is wrong. God desires to use every one of His children who are willing to be used.

Consider Rahab. Her life was filled with sin and disobedience to God. Her life’s career was living in sin. Yet when God looked for someone to use, she surrendered to Him and was willing to help. Her perfection didn’t matter to God; her willingness and obedience did.

The lion could’ve killed the mouse, yet by showing kindness he gained a new friend and help in time of need. God can use anyone—a small child, a sin-stained life, or even a mouse! The Bible is filled with stories of social outcasts that Jesus dined with, conversed with, and used for His glory. And God still uses imperfect people today.

The devil is a master at skewing our thinking. He brings guilt, self-doubt, and depression into our lives to keep us from serving God. Have you ever thought you couldn’t serve God because of a past mistake? Read Jesus’ earthly ministry. Look at the imperfect, maimed, sin-stained, and cheating people He used. God delights in using the weak to accomplish His work, because He is glorified.

What can you accomplish today? Not much. But as you surrender your life (your past mistakes, present struggles, and future failures) to Christ, He will use you to accomplish things greater than you thought possible.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 66-67 | Romans 7