June 13: Of Garbage, Fished Out and Transformed

1 Kings 11:1-12:19

Acts 9:1-25

Psalm 131:1-3

Proverbs 17:4-5

Of all the unlikely people God has seen fit to put in His service - from Moses (a murderer), to David (a murderer AND an adulterer), to Gideon and Peter (both cowards), to Samson (is there a bigger spoiled brat hero in the Bible?), of all the reclamation projects God has made useful, of all the seeming detritus of humanity God has called for His purposes, no one gives me as much hope for myself as Saul.

Yeah, that Saul.  

The Jew, born to a devout, and likely prominent, family.  Born into privilege, likely a Roman citizen.  The man who aided and abetted the stoning of Stephen, then decided that this Way was a cancer on the Jewish people.  The industrious fellow who then began going house to house, dragging men and women off and putting them in prison.  Still not content with that, the diligent fellow who went to the high priest and solicited letters of introduction so he could do the same thing in Damascus.  The one whose reputation so preceded him that even after a clear instruction from God Ananias was reluctant to help him.  

Yeah, that Saul. 

The vicious, oppressive piece of scum God fished out of the garbage of Saul's own evil designs and transformed into a powerful evangelist and the most powerful evangelistic writer in the New Testament, a man who very quickly was such a powerful tool in God's hands the Jews to whom he'd been endorsed were plotting to kill him

Yeah, that Saul.  

You see, if you're like me, it is still hard sometimes to accept that this awesome God you've just started to get to know would want to have anything to do with the you that you've come to  know, warts and all.  Salvation is sometimes tough enough to accept - but a job as part of His crew?  No way.  Not worthy. 

Until you read about Saul, and others like him.  Just as unworthy.  Just as messed up.  Just as lost, just as rebellious, just as many reasons for Him not to like them they way you think He couldn't possibly like you.  Yeah, maybe even more.  And then you realize, He doesn't even just wait for you, He comes after you.  And He grabs you by - the eyeballs, in Saul's case - and shakes you up.  And then, believe it or not, when you are at rock bottom, He puts you to work on His crew.  And not just the small stuff - the stuff that could get you ostracized, that could lose you your job, maybe even your friends.  In Saul's case, could even get you killed.

Someone once explained it to me - God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies those He chooses to call.  Like maybe you and me.  Like Saul.

Yeah, that Saul. 

Thank You, God.  And thanks, Saul.