You Want Me to do What??

You Want Me to Do What?  As kids, my Mom always came up with chores for us to do.  Some were easy, others took time, effort and skill to accomplish.  One of the tasks I remember hating was ironing the organdy curtains and damask tablecloths.  Mom wanted them done right, and that took skill.  No spray starch, no easy care fabric, those babies were 100% cotton, and awkward to handle.  Ugh.  They always got done, but I dreaded the day when they went into the wash again.  I’m sure you have your own stories to tell regarding undesirable jobs, who doesn’t?  As bad as that task seemed to me then, I wouldn’t  have switched positions with some of the people God called into service.  Sit back, relax and be glad you weren’t saddled with these jobs.

Noah.  This poor guy was sitting around, minding his own business, and staying out of trouble, when God gave him the nod.  This guy was perfect for the project he had in mind.  "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. "This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. "You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.…”  Genesis 6:15-16.  Noah wasn’t a carpenter, he didn’t know a cubit from a “what’s it”, and where the heck do you buy gopher wood???  Can you imagine what Mrs. Noah had to say about this?  An ark, in my backyard, no way!!!  His neighbors had a hay-day with him, and even more so when the animals marched in.  Sad to say, you and I most likely would have been on the scoffing team.  But,  he persevered.  This noble man didn’t scrimp and buy cheap material, nor did he change the blueprint to make it smaller and easier.  He never asked why, which certainly would have been justified, instead Noah, who knew the rest of the story, did everything just as God commanded him. We know how that story ended for the outsiders, but Noah’s obedience was rewarded.

Abraham.  Wow, God gave this fellow a ton of chores, and plenty of reasons to ask, “You want me to do what?”  You want me to leave home?   “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”  Genesis 12:1.
You want me to take the bad ground?  You want me to cut off what with a semi-sharp stone?  “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised” Genesis 17.  The guy was 99 years old for pity sake, but he did it, and was blessed.  Then the ultimate task was ordered;  “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Genesis 22:2.  I’m afraid I would have broken down and asked at that point, but Abraham trusted God implicitly.  We all know how that turned out, and should be thankful for Uncle Abe’s faithfulness.

Moses, Enoch, Abel, Isaac, Judah, Joseph, Mary, John the Baptist, the Bible tells us about the supernatural faith that these folks possessed. Why?  Because it is available to everyone of us.  “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” Hebrews 11:1.  Do yourself a favor and read this chapter in Hebrews if you are unfamiliar with it, and re-read it if you aren’t.  I like to call it the Roll Call of the faithful.  These ordinary people, who because of their deep-rooted faith, were able to accomplish the extraordinary.  Did you get that, God wants to take our ORDINARY, and make it His EXTRAORDINARY.  I’m all over that!!  Has he asked me to iron his curtains?  Yes, in a way.  He’s approached me about doing things I didn’t think I could do, and I’m not ashamed to say I’ve asked him why.  But, every time, he’s taken my inability and transformed it into an amazing ability.  Do I still ask, “you want me to do what?”, sure,  but now I complete it like this, “with my faith and your power, let’s do it!!”  Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God."  Mark 10:27.