May 1--How God's Un-Choosy Choosing Frees You (and Me, Too)

I'm often surprised by the folks God chooses and uses in the Bible.  They're rarely exemplary or admirable, and often, they're downright rotten, which is good news for those of us who think we're not good enough.  Today's passages are Judges 13-14, John 1:29-51, Psalm 99, Proverbs 14:14-15.

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Eve reads her Bible journal aloud on this episode.

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Transcript

Judges 13-14

John 1:29-51

Psalm 99, Prayer, Proverbs 14:14-15

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May 1. How God's unchoosy choosing frees you and me too. I won't be reading the scripture references. For those, please check the written post. On the upside, it was completely free. Well, if you don't count tuition or the bags of chips I kept pulling out of the vending machine, the grandboys were thrilled, of course, while I hoped that one day of mind numbing video gaming wouldn't do irreparable damage out of all the days we've spent together at museums and aquariums. We'd come to Grandson Oaks School and its student activity center this time, since I'd let them choose what we did on our day together. Oaks is an all boys school and there were a lot of boys milling around outside after school let out. We were heading inside when Ezra, age nine, lagged behind. This isn't our school, ma'am. Everybody's older than we are. We don't fit in. I pointed out that Oak, age thirteen, was up ahead, cheerfully leading our ragtag group of younger brothers and cousins ages five to ten, plus his grandma. You're right, Ez, I said, but look at Oak. He's not embarrassed by us. We don't have to be embarrassed by us either. When we got inside, Oak made sure each boy had a seat and a controller. He explained how to access the video games they wanted. Then he sat at the next flat screen with a school friend. It hadn't been my choice for how to spend those two hours, but I couldn't help feeling delighted to witness it. Oak, I'm so proud of you, I said on the way home. I can't believe you were okay with all of us being there with you on your turf. I mean, look at us. We're not cool. I'm not cool either, ma'am, he said, without hesitating. Well, I think you are, I replied. The boys had squabbled a bit, pushed and shoved once they were inside, but Oak hadn't minded. He spoke kindly to the little guys and helped them. Who cared about cool? Oak certainly didn't, which made him beyond cool in my eyes. This is something of the way I see God relating to people in these passages, leading by loving, and not at all embarrassed. The Old Testament chapters are Judges thirteen to fourteen. He's not the rule following firstborn you'd expect God to choose. Here's yet another story of someone God obviously chooses and uses, but I've got to ask why. I look through my Bible to see what I've missed and see that God's choosing of Samson was unmistakable. Just like Isaac, Jacob, Samuel, and John the Baptist, he was born to a barren woman for a particular purpose to save Israel from the Philistines. An angel announced his mother's pregnancy. Samson's parents made a burnt offering to the angel who ascended to heaven in its smoke. His parents then realized that the angel was a manifestation of God himself, and they fell on their faces in worship. Samson had to have heard the angel's story many times from his parents. Nevertheless, when he was grown, Samson bucked his destiny. He chose a Philistine woman to marry rather than an Israelite as God had commanded, and he got mad for losing a betting game at his wedding feast and murdered thirty Philistine men so he could pay it off. And when his almost father in law gave his almost wife away to another man, he tied foxes' tails together and burned up all the grain, grapes, and olives, the whole harvest for that year. When the Philistines threatened to attack Judah and payback, Samson's people, the Judahites, tied up Samson to turn him over to them. But Samson snapped the ropes he was tied with, and then he killed the whole company of a thousand Philistines with a donkey's jawbone. I could go on about how he showed off his strength with other feats and visited foreign women and prostitutes, but you get the idea. Samson became a lone vigilante against the Philistines rather than live the life of a godly savior for his people. I look back in the text and find something else concerning. God's spirit entered Samson just before he did nearly all of the things I've mentioned, and I'm dumbfounded. Really, God? You empowered this guy and then he was merciless and taking vengeance? Yes. I hate reading about Samson being filled with the Holy Spirit and then being violent. I want to believe that being filled with God's Spirit looks very different, and it should. But this was who God had to work with, a man he selected before his birth to deliver Israel from their enemies, a man who didn't give a hoot about proper behavior, a man who lived exactly as he pleased. This was God's choice as the deliverer of his people and his representative before the pagan nations. Evidently God doesn't need perfect people to advance his kingdom or even very good ones. God uses who he chooses, and often it's not who you'd expect or like, or even respect. I wrote this very same thing just yesterday, and here it is all over again today. God's not hamstrung by anybody's life choices. He's not wringing his hands wondering when we'll finally make good so he can use us. He's not embarrassed by us either, nor is he finished with us yet. He uses us as we are and improves us as he uses us. And this is comforting news at a time when our youngest son is home again to hopefully relaunch. Who am I to say what his life should look like? Who am I to say whether or not he's following Jesus? He belongs to God. I don't get to judge him. It's also convicting news. Who am I to hold up myself as the standard of better behavior? Who am I to do anything but love him where he is? The truth is this son has always been naturally better at loving others than I am. After all, he's not writing about me and posting it. At the end of Samson's life he was finally caught by the Philistines who gouged out his eyes. He was used like an animal, grinding grain and entertaining crowds. At his last performance he prayed that God would use him one last time and let him knock down the building where thousands of Philistines had gathered to watch him, and God let him. Despite his shortcomings, Samson fulfilled God's purpose for his life, which was to save his people from the Philistines, and he did it for twenty years. In the end, he did it from a softened heart set free and surrendered, which had to be what God had been gunning for from the beginning. God's story in your life is bigger than you know and better than you can dream up, and you don't have to be perfect in order to get in on it. Just get in on it however you can and watch what God will do, because He can use you just as you are too. Eugene Peterson writes, quote, We don't have to fit into prefabricated moral or mental or religious boxes before we are admitted into the company of God. We are taken seriously just as we are and given a place in his story. God's unchoosy choosing frees you to do what only you can do. The New Testament passage is John one twenty nine to fifty one. When Jesus arrived on John the Baptist scene, John chose to take a back seat, and he didn't complain or make it all about himself. He paved the way for Jesus, and he pointed him out so well he even lost two of his disciples who left him to follow Jesus. The humility of John at what must have been the height of his career is extraordinary. Only a man captivated by God's glory and power could relinquish his own so readily. I love this about him. Those who had been John's disciples were Andrew and someone else unnamed. Then Andrew introduces his brother Peter to Jesus. Jesus chooses Philip, and Philip chooses Nathaniel. Jesus doesn't seem concerned with finding the right people. He rounds up whoever's willing, not making a big to do, but just lets it happen. Those who want him come to him, and they bring family and friends, and Jesus chooses some too. But when Nathaniel comes, we see a different side to Jesus' selection process. He says he saw Nathaniel under the fig tree and knows there's nothing false in him. Turns out Jesus' choices weren't as random as they seemed. Seekers found him while he asked others to join up, but it's all so casual, so spur of the moment. You'd never know that Jesus is choosing individuals for a particular purpose or that this would be the pivotal moment of epic proportions that it is. Joining up with Jesus is like this. He asks everybody to come along with him. Nobody has to prove themselves, no resume, no references. Everybody is welcomed and wanted, deliberately chosen and deeply loved for what is still the opportunity of a lifetime. Jesus' unchoosy choosing frees you to join up and live for him. From Psalm ninety nine God rules. God rules, so my people and my schedule don't rule, and neither do the bills or the weeds or the tasks or the talents or the crises in the news. God rules so regardless of those who tried to thwart him, and regardless of whether or not I cooperate, his kingdom will come, his will be done. God rules so I don't have to. I can rest and relax, put my feet up, I can join in and I can take time off. God doesn't need my help. He's got this because he is God after all, and I'm not. God rules so I can let go of my fears and whether or not my grandboys become gamers, and how my adult children turn out, and even how I turn out. God rules so he doesn't need perfect help or even good help to spread his kingdom, and that takes the pressure off of us who are already weary. God rules so if we trust him, we're on his winning team, and even the worst players get as much playing time as they please. Who can field a team like this and expect to win? The coach who's already won the game. God's sovereignty frees you to relax and enjoy his rule. Prayer. God, you chose unsuitable people to advance your kingdom, yet I'm the fruit of those who spread the good news. If you can use them, you can use me too. Please do. In Jesus' name, so be it. From Proverbs 14, 14 to 15. Meanness begets meanness, just as mercy begets mercy. Fools believe everything they hear, while the wise ponder every word. Passages in Judges, John, Psalms, and Proverbs are selected for today in the yearly Bible. This is Eve de Bard Laban Roebuck.