EQUIPPING THE CALLED
Psalm 51:10, 17
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise"
Many years ago my dad met an older gentleman by the name of Bill Gooseman in the mountains of Colorado. Dad and our family hunted on this man's land for many years and became good friends. Bill once sat and told me about his past. As a young man he became well known as a notorious poacher, one that the authorities couldn't catch. He told of escapades that made us laugh and while he said they were all true, some seemed unbelievable. Stories of giant elk and mule deer, so big that many would have scored high in the record books. He had 4 or 5 Mason jars full of elk ivory in his house, that backed up his claims.
The local authorities were well aware of his illegal action and eventually came to the conclusion, "if you can’t beat um, join um." They decided the best way to get Bill to stop what he was doing was to hire him to work as a game warden to catch the others that were out doing what he was doing. They gave him all he needed, equipping him with guns and a vehicle. It worked and Bill spent the rest of his adult life working for the right side of the law. He eventually wrote a book about both sides of his hunting... called, "In Pursuit".
There is old saying that says, "God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called!".
The truth is that none of us are really equipped on our own. We are far from perfect and we are broken and failing people. But the Good News is that God uses exactly that kind of person to do His work here.
In the old testament, David was caught in a very sinful, uncomfortable position, however, because he turned back to God it was later written that he was a "man after God's own heart". Even More importantly, Jesus came from the "line of David". David was a murderer, liar, adulterer and yet when he had hit rock bottom, God used him to build His kingdom upon.
Today, if you are feeling broken, bruised, like damaged goods... Remember you are today EXACTLY where God wants you to be to use you for the future.
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