Just an ordinary girl...

Aren't you glad God uses ordinary people like you and I to do EXTRAORDINARY things? I sure am. Because if He chose the talented, wise and special to use, I certainly wouldn't be one of them!

Sunday in our services and small group, the Lord used Galatians 6:14 to teach me a very important lesson. "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." What do I TRULY boast about? Do I brag on my own accomplishments? What do I talk about? Do I share what the Lord has done in my life or do I keep it to myself? It brought me a realization. If I DON'T boast in the Lord, I am boasting about other things. Those THINGS are clearly an idol if it comes before my LORD. It has me thinking.

Since Sunday, my times with the Lord have reiterated the same principle. I have been studying the life of Jesus' mother Mary and how God used just an ordinary girl and did something extraordinary. It let me to this scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (New International Version)

²⁶Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.³¹Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

Then I came across Jeremiah 9:23-34.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (New International Version)

²³ This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

²⁴ but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.

I sure am glad we serve a God who delights in kindness, justice and righteousness. Aren't you? AND even when we fail Him, He still loves us and uses us for His kingdom.

Because I, like Mary, am just ordinary. But HE makes the ordinary EXTRAORDINARY.

I must boast only in HIM, because He is worthy of all of the praise. Period.