God Does Not Call the Equipped, He Equips the Called
Posted by wordforit on November 5, 2007
The Next Time You Feel Like God Did Not Make You For A Grand Purpose, Remember:
Noah got drunk, Genesis 9:20-22.
Abraham was too old, Genesis 17.
Jacob was a liar, Genesis 27:19.
Leah was considered ugly, Genesis 29:17
Joseph was abused, Genesis 37:24-36.
Moses stuttered, Exodus 4:10.
Gideon was afraid, Judges 6:21-23.
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer,
Rahab was a prostitute, Joshua 2:1.
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young,
Jere.1:6-7 and 2Timothy 1:2.
David had an affair and was a murderer,
Elijah was suicidal, 1King 19.
Isaiah preached naked, Isaiah 20:2-4.
Jonah ran from God, The book of Jonah
Naomi was a widow, Ruth 1:3.
Job went bankrupt, The Book of Job.
Peter denied Christ, Matt.26:69-70.
The Disciples fell asleep while praying, Matthew 26:40.
Martha worried about everything, Luke 10:40.
Mary Magdalene was cleansed of seven demons,
The Samaritan woman at the well had five husbands, John 4:18.
Zaccheus was too small, Luke 19:3.
Paul was too religious, Acts 8:1. (note: I left this in, but am dubious about “too religious”…)
Timothy had an ulcer, 1Timothy 5:23.
Lazarus was dead! John 11.
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God desires for you to reach your full potential.
Are you available?
You are not the message. You are the messenger!
His Eye is On the Sparrow… Matthew 10:29
God Bless and Keep you and Yours. Amen.
All Bold red text = new windows
Addendum: This was an old e-mail but I looked up scripture before posting and deleted some because it was just WRONG! I am very leery of things that are all over the internet…
The e-mail I received actually starts off that Noah was a drunk—no indication of that whatsoever but scripture does say that he was a husbandman Genesis 9(gardener/farmer) and he kept vineyards, then drank too much one afternoon. Likely the heat is why he was in his tent naked, but there is a whole other story behind him being seen naked by Ham (son) [or] Canaan (grandson)…a curse ensued… ~
1Corinthians 3:9~ we are the husbandry (fields).
Mary Magdalene Luke 8: 2. Also, John 20 (11-18 the discourse w/ Mary [of Magdala] after Jesus’ resurrection). It’s also all over the place that MM was a prostitute but the only thing I am aware of is that she was relieved of seven evil spirits…
Woman being condemned for adultery (“you w/out sin cast the first stone”) ~ John 8: 1-11
Woman was a sinner and washed Jesus’ feet Luke 7: 36-50 “thy faith has saved thee”
Mary, sister of Martha Luke 10:38-39
Woman at the well (Jacob’s Well, incidentally) ~ John 4 She went back and told the others of meeting Jesus (who knew all about her, although they had never met) and He tarried/ ministered there two days (see verses 39&40 of John 4 in which the citizens became believers due to her testimony)…What always grabs me about that story is that He knew she’d had five husbands, was cohabitating with another guy, and still welcomed her to the family! Tells us much, huh?!? Some of us cannot even get past simple mistakes and this woman must have had a complex life…
Luke 10: 25-37 ~The Good Samaritan (different story all together from the woman at the well). The footnote in my Bible shares this: “The Samaritans were descendant s of colonists whom the Assyrian kings planted in Palestine after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. They were despised by the Jews because of their mixed Gentile blood and their different worship, which centered on Mt. Gerizim John 4:20-22.” (The Assyrians were the ones running things in Nineveh during Jonah’s time and he despised their cruelty to his people…) Sound familiar?
His Eye is On the Sparrow…Matthew 10:29
Word For It. . . 
marlajayne said
These are great examples. A friend and I were talking today about another old person, Sarah, who got into the motherhood business pretty late in life. I’m too lazy to get up to verify this, but wasn’t the Samaritan woman at the well the first one to whom Christ actually revealed who He was. I think that’s such a great story (if it’s the one I think it is) because not only did he pick a woman to share this great news with at a time when they weren’t exactly considered equal to men, but he chose a Samaritan woman at that…and one that had to come get her water later in the day after all the others had come and gone. Am I thinking about the right story? Sure hope so or I’m going to be very embarrassed.
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Hi,Marla Jayne! I’m not sure how you mean to whom Jesus first revealed himself but the addendum I put in the post has links that lead to the scripture references. I’m embarrassed that I did not think about the importance of Jesus being so inclusive of women until a few years ago…I thought it was supposed to be that way! ;-))
timbob said
great title and great message. I remember our youth pastor one sunday talking about when he worked for a concrete company while in college. He didn’t have to bring any tools; just show up for work. The contractor provided all that he needed.
Pastor Greg was talking about being in the will of God in the mentioned example. If we are obediant to his will, he will equip us. But if we just go out on our own, his provision will not be with us as it would be if we are obediant to his will.
I’ll have to come back to this later as I’m on my lunch break at the moment. Great collection of passages.
Have a blessed evening in Jesus.
timbob
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Thanks, timbob!! Wow! You with three blogs running! Says a lot for you in keeping your thoughts focused and your ability to write quickly.
Can’t remember where I first read the “equipped” phrase but it’s one that I have never forgotten. Great point to be always sure of being in His will…no “plan B”! And I am pointing at myself on that one!
Daniel said
Odale this is a great reminder. One of the verses I like to think on when I consider how great the calling is that God gave us is “Christ in you the hope of Glory” Wow! Christ in us and the hope is Glory. Great post my friend.
God Bless
Daniel
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Without Christ we are in trouble and w/out hope. You’ve been kinda quiet (in here) lately, Daniel! I pray that all is well. The “Sparrow” quote is one of my favorite passages and favorite hymns. I posted this mainly because it’s been going around for quite some time and there are several versions, with several mistakes, and it’s not biblical. I read something recently that defended all religions and made them all the same, then the author ended with a statement that he is against all religions!?!
God Bless and Keep You!
Daniel said
Thanks for the concern. I usually get really busy on the weekends. I have to preapare a message for sunday here at the local church and I am usaully out preaching at other churches or at a revival or something. I really appreciatte your concern though it really means alot. I love to post though to and sometimes I cant wait to get back on the computer and go at it. Well you and I both know that not all religions are the same and how can we give any merit to someone who is against religion. Someone like this does not have faith, they dont believe and you cannot convince someone who has no faith to believe spiritual things.
God Bless
Daniel
titus2woman said
LOVE THIS! It’s a message I ALWAYS seem to need. Thanks for the encouragement today! (((((HUGS))))) sandi
marlajayne said
Have you ever wondered where the “partner” was for the woman condemned for adultery? If they were actually “caught,” where was he? How did he manage to escape? Isn’t this the passage when it seems like Christ takes his time and draws in the sand before answering? I’ve often wondered why he did that.
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I did question years ago where the guy in that situation was (was probably rather huffy about it, too), but that, nor what was written in the sand is significant to the point was the answer (in so many words).
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The Mary and Martha story has always appealed to me, and although sometimes I feel that I have a little too much Martha in me, I realize that he wasn’t saying, “Don’t do that.” He was saying, “I’m here now. Take time to listen and learn.” I interpret that to mean that I and all other women need to let the dusting go sometimes and learn more of Him.
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I used to be a perfectioinist about every little speck, and I still take care of what I am blessed to have, but I am definitely more like Mary now! :-) I might even go to the extreme in exuberance in learning more, but there is so much life in the scriptures!
marlajayne said
P.S. I could be entirely wrong about this, but about the woman at the well, when He tells her who He is in verse 26, I thought it was the first time He had actually just come out and identified himself. I hope this is the case because it reaffirms my feeling that he had respect for women…more than the men of that time did.
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Sorry to not get right back to this, Jayne! I am relocating my office and hope to be finished by Monday…moving furniture is not something I look for reasons to do! ;-))
You’re right, the woman at the well was the first to believe it when Jesus revealed His identity (Nicodemus was skeptical and asked “how can a man be “born again?”) I looked for a book I have “Jesus and Women of the Bible” so I could tell you the author, but it’s somewhere in a box … I think the conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well is also the longest one-on-one conversation Jesus engaged in…
I have Mary Magdalene on the brain lately…she was the first after the Crucifixion, which is powerful in itself (the others went to tell the news when they realized He was not there, but she stayed at the tomb but thought He was the gardener when she first saw Him), and there are a lot of claims about her that are unfounded.
I would say Jesus is very disappointed in disparities in many arenas, though. I wouldn’t be as negligent of a house plant as some are of fellow huimans. ( Some treat plants better than humans!). Thanks for asking and clarifying, Jayne! When I get a chance, I am going to write some posts about women in the Bible…some are propagating that Ruth & Naomi were gay, among other biblical characters… I don’t even know if words exist to describe how sorrowful I feel when I read or hear things like that. Such a desecrating claim to promote an agenda…
Alex said
What do you think, please, of Obadiah Shoher’s interpretation of the story? (here: samsonblinded.org/blog/genesis-37.htm ) He takes the text literally to prove that the brothers played a practical joke on Yosef rather than intended to murder him or sell him into slavery. His argument seems fairly strong to me, but I’d like to hear other opinions.
Odale said
Hi, Alex! He’s changing what is written in scripture and that is forbidden. The brothers literally hated Joseph and wanted rid of him but did not want his blood on their hands, so they sold him into slavery. No, they were not joking around!
I’ll come back to this but I wanted to thank you for coming by and acknowledge that you invited me to share the story of Joseph and his brothers from Genesis 37!
tyrone ferrara said
Dear Friend,
Reading your post bring Romans 3:22-23 to mind:
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Keep up the good work.