12-04-24-DAILY READING-ENG.

EXPERIENCING THE SPIRIT

                                         GOD'S MAKEOVER 

As you recall what God did through such men in Scripture, consider this: If Gideon had taken a spiritual gifts inventory to determine his future course of action, his chances for taking a job as a military general would be almost nil. If Amos had analyzed and charted his talents and abilities, he would not have stood before the king. If Peter had done the same, he wouldn't have become an apostle. Likewise, David would never have been king of Israel, Joseph wouldn't have ruled in Egypt, Nehemiah wouldn't have rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, and Paul wouldn't have been a missionary.

If pursuing God's work depended on their own perceived abilities, most if not all of our heroes of the faith would never have become known. After evaluating their strengths and abilities, they most likely would have concluded they didn't have what it took to meet the awesome task before them. The assignment just didn't match their “gift set.” But today we view these people as champions of the faith—because we've seen the last chapter of their lives.

If, however, you'd met them before their encounter with the Lord and their filling by the Spirit, you would have found them to be very unassuming people, quite ordinary, and often poor, weak, and insignificant. “Extreme makeovers” have been popular on television, and seeing the before and after is often dramatic. But no Hollywood makeover can compare to the work of the Holy Spirit to transform a person's life. His specialty is using ordinary men and women in extraordinary ways.