Timely Insights into God's Word from Khandielese Reyes

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the Synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.  And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  And he said, who art thou, Lord?  And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?  And the Lord said unto him, arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.  And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.  And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.  And he was there three days without sight.  And neither did eat nor drink.  And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias and he said, behold I am here, Lord.  And the Lord said unto him, arise, and go into the street which is called straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.  Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to the saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a CHOSEN VESSEL unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.  (Acts 9:1-15) 

Saul, also known as Paul, would have been to many the least likely choice to be used for the Glory of the Lord.  Here was a man who was known by many as one who persecuted the church, whose reputation was tainted and soiled in the eyes of the disciples, and in the presence of the Lord he did much harm and evil against the saints, and yet TO THE   LORD, he was still “His Chosen Vessel.”   One could probably understand the reluctance, suspicion, and skepticism of the disciples and of Ananias to receive him NOW as a “Minister of the Gospel” when he had a well known reputation for coming against the very words he was now called to preach.  The skepticism of Paul was obviously display in Ananias for when the Lord instructed him to “go into the street which is called straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight”,  he did not immediately obey this command but instead seemed to be a bit puzzled and appeared to question the Lord’s choosing of Paul as he replied: Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to the saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.  However, the Lord’s answer to Ananias was “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings and the children of Israel.”  The Lord had plans for Paul.  Plans that the disciples and Ananias couldn’t quite see nor understand as the Lord knew exactly, beforehand just how he was going to use Paul for His Glory.  Paul may not have been their choice, however he WAS the LORD’S CHOICE, “His Chosen Vessel.” 

There are many today who are as Paul was.  Some may be persecutors of the church, some may be so tucked away within the body of Christ they are hardly noticed, some may appear to be so shy and timid that many may think surely the Lord could not proclaim his word through such a person, some may be bound by alcohol, drugs, prostitution and such and yet be on the very edge of having a “Damascus Road Experience”, and some may not be what most would consider “Minister Material”.  But the fact of the matter is, God will take the most common, most unlikely, most ordinary person and through such a vessel, do extraordinary things, for HIS Glory for it is HE who shall choose the vessels and not man. 

Oftentimes when the Lord calls someone into a good work for His Glory, he/she may not appear to others as the “best choice”.  Appearances can quite often yield to deception and man has a tendency to look at the “outward” and judge by what he/she physically sees.  However, the Lord looks beyond the outward.  Beyond what’s physically seen, beyond the “bad reputation” and “tainted past”, beyond the obvious weaknesses and inadequacies, beyond the “lack of worldly education” and inability’s, beyond the flesh and into the spirit, the very heart of the man or woman.  The Lord even see that which we cannot see in ourselves and will pull such out onto the surface that he may use it for HIS Glory.  The Lord is not looking for one who believes his/herself to already be “perfected”, but rather someone whom HE can perfect!  Someone empty, someone broken, someone yielded, someone HE can pour HIMSELF in!  In the “eyes of man” if we were to examine overall some of the men/women the Lord called as his “Chosen Vessel”, we will notice the majority didn’t have the “appearance” nor seemed to be “highly qualified” for the task the Lord had set before them.  Many were weak and vulnerable, came from lowly backgrounds, wasn’t esteemed as someone “great” by man, lacked education, self esteem, etc. and yet such he used greatly for His Glory.  “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”.    

Consider his servant Moses, a very humble man who lacked the self confidence many boast of possessing.  He attempted in the form of his speech to convince the Lord God he wasn’t “fit” for the calling of which he was called.  “My speech Lord is not that of eloquence”, he said.   “Suppose they would not believe me?”, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”, etc. etc.  But, the Lord did not reply to Moses in agreement by saying: you are right Moses, you don’t speak very well, what was I thinking.   I made a mistake.  Forget that I called you, let me search for one whose a great scholar instead to fulfill the task I’ve set forth.  This job is too big for you, go back to the fields.  You are more useful there….  Instead what the Lord said to Moses was: “Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind?  Have not I the LORD?  Now therefore GO, and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say”  In essence what the Lord is saying to Moses, and many like him: Get your eyes off YOURSELF!  You are right for you cannot do the job of your own will, but MY SPIRIT THROUGH YOU, CAN and WILL!  This is NOT about you, but ALL about Me!  I am the Lord thy God!  Apart from ME you can do nothing!  Go now, for I have called YOU! YOU are my chosen vessel…. Eventually Moses surrendered and went forth as the Lord God commanded and through him the power of the Holy Spirit led a great Nation of people out of the bondage and slavery of Egypt.  Moses has been noted to be one of the great men of God whom the Lord chose to speak to face to face, and whom he considered not only his servant, but his friend.  Thus, despite all of which man would have considered weak in Moses, he was still to the Lord, “His Chosen Vessel.” 

Consider the disciples who were chosen of the Lord.  Common men, some of bad reputation, the most unlikely candidates in the eyes of some to “walk” side by side with the King of kings and Lord of lords and yet the Lord God used them greatly for HIS Glory.  Peter, who publicly cursed and swore in the presence of the Lord’s accusers that he didn’t even KNOW the Lord, was used as the foundation on which the Lord established HIS church.   Despite who these disciples were in the eyes of man, they were to the Lord, “His Chosen Vessels.” 

Knowing this my dear friends, let us be reminded that it is NOT up to us to pick and choose whose “best qualified”, or “more worthy” of doing the Lord’s work.  It is the Lord God who makes the choice, it is HE who ordains, and HE who calls and ALL who answers are considered “His Chosen Vessel”.  You’d be surprised at whom the Lord can use for HIS GLORY!

I love you all so very much. Have a blessed week in the Lord and remember: Whatever we do, do ALL for the GLORY of GOD, who ALONE is worthy of the GLORY and the PRAISE!

May the peace of the Lord be with you today and always…….

Khandielese
Daughter & Servant
   of the Lord God