The Bible tells us that we were created by God, for God. In other words, we are His hands and feet here on earth, and by obeying His every instruction, we are fulfilling the plans and purpose that He has for our lives. But what do we do when we feel like we don't align with what God wants from us? We think that we aren't good enough, we’ve messed up too many times in the past, we don't have what it takes, or we just simply don't want to.

Throughout this 5-day devotional, we will be reminded that it's not about us. It’s not about what we think, what we want, what we’ve done, or who we are. God has a plan and purpose for each one of us if we choose to obey. We’ll also take a look at a couple of people in the Bible whom God used to fulfill His purpose in ways they might not have intended for themselves.

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT

As believers, at one point or another, we have all said the salvation prayer. We repeated words that went something like “Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, that you died on the cross to rescue me from sin and death and to restore me to the Father. I choose now to turn from my sins, my self-centeredness, and every part of my life that does not please you. I choose you. I give myself to you.” In that moment, we took an oath to relinquish our lives to Jesus, to no longer live for ourselves and live only for Him. In other words, we made a decision to submit. 

In his book Good or God, John Bevere wrote that submission “plays out practically by our firm adherence to His Word, wisdom, counsel, directives, correction, and instruction whether we see the reason for it or not.” If we claim Jesus is Lord, then we are His subjects and therefore we must subject ourselves to His every desire. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) reminds us “... we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago”. “Flaws” and all, we are called His masterpiece, designed perfectly for the good things that He has planned. When God gives us instructions, but we decide not to obey, we are attempting to take back a life that never belonged to us in the first place and denying God the opportunity to use us to fulfill His plan. The Bible tells us, “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it” (Mathew 10:39 NLT).

Prayer: Lord, help me to see me the way You see me, as a masterpiece created for Your glory. Help me trust in Your ways and obey You without resistance. I accept that I was created for Your plan and purpose. Therefore, I give myself to You today and every day. Amen.

“Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” - Exodus 4:11-12 NLT

Today. we take a look at the story of Moses. Moses is well known for leading the Israelites out of Egypt and revered for his role as a prophet, leader, and lawgiver. However, he wasn't immediately up for the task when God called him. Exodus 3:11 reminds us “Moses protested to God, 'Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?'.” He protested to God asking, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you?’” (Exodus 4:1 NLT) and “Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” (Exodus 4:10 NLT). Besides not being well-spoken, Moses had already exiled himself in Midian for 40 years after killing an Egyptian and was about 80 years old when God called him to go back to Egypt. It makes sense why he thought he was not the right choice. The Bible even tells us “Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.” (Exodus 4:13 NLT).

Imagine what would have been the story of Moses if he decided to give in to his thoughts and not let God use him. Although, Moses had his doubts and insecurities, he also served a God who recognized his fears and provided the help he needed. God sent Aaron to his aid and from that moment, Moses gave in to God’s instruction. When we choose not to be bound by our thoughts, God shows us His will for our lives goes beyond our imagination.

PRAYER – Father, I pray that in times when I think I am not good enough Your spirit reminds me that I am created in Your image, and You have empowered me to do things beyond my self-perceived capability. I cast out thoughts that tell me I am inadequate and thoughts that point to my deficiencies. I will choose to hold on to Your word, accepting that my thoughts are nothing like Your thoughts and Your ways are far beyond anything I could imagine (Isaiah 55:8 NLT). Amen.

The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”- Jonah 4:4 NLT

Today, we visit the story of Jonah. Like many of us sometimes do, Jonah decided to do what he wanted and go against God’s command. The book of Jonah tells us “The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 'Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.'” (Jonah 1:1-2 NLT). However, Jonah disobeyed God and boarded a ship headed in the opposite direction, trying to escape to Tarshish. As the story later tells us, Jonah's disobedience was an attempt to avoid delivering a message of repentance to a city he believed was unworthy of God's mercy. As a result, Jonah spent three days and three nights inside a fish. After he prayed and God showed mercy on him, the Lord ordered the fish to spit him out onto the beach.

The second time the Lord spoke to Jonah, he obeyed his commands. He delivered the message of repentance to the people of Nineveh, warning them of God's impending judgment. Yet, to Jonah's surprise, the people of Nineveh, from the king to the common citizens, repented and turned to God. They declared a fast and sought forgiveness for their sins. When God saw their repentance, He changed His mind and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened. But once again that’s not what Jonah wanted, “This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So, he complained to the Lord about it: 'Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.'” (Jonah 4:1-3 NLT). Although I think most of us would agree that Jonah’s response seemed a bit extreme, we too get upset when God doesn't do what we want Him to do. Especially when He does the exact opposite of what we want. However, we don’t often see the bigger picture and God’s purpose. Although it was not what Jonah wanted, by turning away from his personal desires and obeying God, he played a part in saving Nineveh from destruction and God’s compassion and mercy were exemplified through it.   

Prayer: God help me submit to You and not waiver from Your instruction even when it doesn’t make sense, or I don’t agree.   I know, Lord, that my life is not my own. I am not able to plan my own course (Jeremiah 10:23 NLT). So, help me to submit to Your will and desire the things that You desire for me. Amen.

Today we reflect on the story of Paul to see how God chose to use him despite his past. Before Paul became “Paul”, he was known as Saul. Saul was a Pharisee and a fervent persecutor of early Christians. It wasn’t until he was on his way to Damascus to arrest and bring back followers of Jesus that he encountered Christ. In that moment, God changed the trajectory of his life. Following his escape from Damascus, Saul went into the wilderness and spent several years in solitude, deepening his understanding of the Christian faith. 

He then emerged as the Apostle Paul, one of the most influential figures in the early Christian church and embarked on missionary journeys to spread the gospel throughout the Roman world. Paul says it himself, “I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.” (Philippians 3: 6-7 NLT). Although Paul was once a zealous persecutor, God was able to use that same zeal and unwavering obedience to lead him to convert thousands of people and write 13 books in the New Testament. Paul didn’t let the fear of people who knew what he did stop him from becoming who God intended him to be. If we cling to our sinful past and allow it to define us, it hinders us from fulfilling God's will.

Prayer: Father, I submit my past to You and turn from my old ways. For Your Word says “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). I declare that I am no longer bound to my past and claim my new identity in You. Amen.

The Bible is filled with unlikely individuals whom God used to accomplish great things. Although we often remember their great accomplishments, we forget that many of them were what we would consider to be regular people like you and me. Gideon (Judges 6-8) was from the weakest clan in the whole tribe of Manasseh. He was the least in his entire family and was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress when the Lord appeared to him and told him he was sending him to rescue Israel from the Midianites. With God’s help, Gideon and his army defeated the Midianites and Gideon led Israel for 40 years. Similarly, Israel’s first king Saul (1 Samuel 9) was from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and his family was the least important of all the families of that tribe. While he was looking for his missing donkeys, Samuel told him he would be king. 

Rahab (Joshua 2) was a prostitute who hid spies from the king of Jericho's men and helped them evade capture. As a result, Rahab and her household were spared, and she became part of the genealogy of Jesus. God used Jael (Judges 4:17-24), a Kenite woman who was not part of the Israelite community, to kill Sisera which played a significant role in the Israelites' victory over the Canaanites. Andrew, Peter, James, and John were normal fishermen before Jesus asked them to be His disciples. Jesus even used a little boy's five loaves and two fishes (John 6:1-14) to feed 5,000 people. The list goes on and on. These people didn’t come from great families, and they weren't the smartest, richest, strongest, or most powerful people; yet God still chose to use them. At times, we believe we must attain greatness before God can work through us. Yet in reality, God frequently uses who we see as ordinary individuals to do extraordinary things.

Prayer: Lord, grant me the wisdom to see that it is not my own abilities or achievements that matter most, but my willingness to be an instrument of Your love and grace, knowing that in Your hands, I can accomplish great things. May I trust in Your guidance and have the courage to step forward when You call me, even if I feel unprepared or inadequate. Amen.