Theme: THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF HIS GRACE
DAY 14, Read: 1 Corinthians 15: 7-11; Ephesians 3:8
GOD’S GRACE TRANSFORMS WEAK VESSELS
Key Verse: “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name” (Romans 1:5).
In today’s Bible readings Paul reveals the peculiarity of the grace of God bestowed upon him. First, it was Apostolic in nature; secondly, it was specifically to the Gentiles in all nations; thirdly, it was a call to obedience.
Paul’s statement in Ephesians 3:8 reveals the place of divine discretion in grace, “To me, who am less that the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Did you take note of the word, “am less than the least of all the saints?” Does that not remind you of how God chooses the weak things of life to confound the great and mighty? God’s grace is freely given to all, but His ‘special’ grace and calling is given to men at his discretion. He chooses men for special tasks; He chooses weak vessels for great tasks. Grace transforms the weak and enables them to do what God has called them to do. “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
David was the least in his father’s house, but the favorite of God. From the wilderness, God raised him to defeat Goliath and deliver Israel. Gideon was the least in his family and from the least tribe in Israel, yet he was the man God chose to deliver Israel in his generation. On the other hand, Moses was the younger brother to Aaron, but felt inadequate to be used by God, yet God used him. Jeremiah felt incompetent to be a prophet to Israel, but God made him one. What grace have you received from God?
Paul reveals another fact about the grace of God. The grace of God upon a man is distinct and visible. Men would respect you if you operate under the anointing of the grace you have received from God. The grace he had was different from the grace other apostles like Peter had, and they respected him for it. Paul wrote, “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised” (Galatians 2:9). May all see the grace of God upon your life and give God glory.
PRAYER: Lord, thank you for your grace upon my life. May I use it to serve and advance Your kingdom.
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