Being one of the thousands of the little ones chosen and used by the ONE.

Rod Valentine

How easy it is to want to be the ONE! You know - the one who had the idea, the one whom people want to talk to, the one people consult etc etc. Soon after I came to know that Jesus was my Saviour, (and what a day that was), I was sitting reading the word of God when a scripture was quickened to my spirit (Christian jargon for "I knew inside that this was important to me"). It was all about being chosen by God but not being the ONE. The scripture was in 1 Corinthians 1:19-28, and it's all about God choosing the weak of this world to confound the wisdom of the wise.

You see I had no formal education, no bible school training, I was thinking, "What could I do for God?" But I just knew I had to do something to share the love I had received with others. From God's point of view that seems to be enough, just to want to do something I mean. I felt that there were a number of other scriptures that God showed me, all to do with Him training me. Well, He knows I am no academic.

During the weeks, months and years since then and even til today, I have been in the greatest school you could be in, I am a Talmid (Hebrew) for disciple. Just look at the way Jesus taught. Yes, He was there to speak to His disciples - and we have His word, the Bible - but in the main He led by example. The disciples walked the way Jesus walked, they learned to do things the way Jesus did them. First thing is, do we trust Him? Once that is sorted then we set off on the journey. In my own experience, for a long time I felt God was teaching me to run with my eyes shut, my life changed totally, I was in uncharted territory. I was experiencing love like I had never known, difficulty and pain also, but always with the knowledge that my whole thought pattern had taken a quantum shift. To be chosen, to be used but with no desire to be the ONE, Jesus is the ONE, me, I'm here to obey. I have to tell you that the Lord has had me in some of the most incredible places to experience some incredible things, I have seen Him move in situations and lives not because I am the ONE but by allowing myself to be used by the ONE.

I was teaching about God's love for His people Israel in a little mud church in Malawi. (Everybody said it was ridiculous to want to go to Africa to teach about Israel - God didn't, He made the way). I was very hot, sweaty and not at all comfortable, the grass from the roof was hanging in my face, it was pretty dark in there, the people were the poorest of the poor, with little in the way of clothing, not a lot of food and not many bibles around. The face of one older lady caught my attention and as I went on sharing it just began to shine as she received the revelation that God had a job for her to do - to stand in faithful prayer for his people Israel. She was one chosen by the ONE. What a privilege it was to be the messenger God used to bring meaning and understanding to this His humble servant. You see God has jobs for us all, yes there are big name speakers and may the Lord greatly bless them and use them, but there are thousands of us little ones chosen and used by the ONE.