HOST: Michael Whitworth
In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
When I read and consider this list of men that Jesus chose to be His apostles, the thing I find most interesting is who they were (or maybe who they were not). They were not educated, they were not wealthy, they were not well-connected, they were not highly esteemed. They were, well, ordinary—they came from varied backgrounds and professions, they had lives, families, and interests, and maybe most notably, they were not perfect. These men were not “spiritual giants” who never struggled with their faith or made mistakes in judgment. They were men who believed in Jesus, but who often failed to understand His purpose and their place within it. They were sometimes guilty of being impetuous, selfish, or worldly. At times, they lacked faith, courage, and strength. And yet Jesus saw in them the potential to be great leaders in His church. He chose them, patiently trained them, and ultimately used them to do great things. This is an encouragement to me because, if Jesus could use them, then maybe, just maybe, he can use me too. What about you?
How are the apostles an encouragement to you?
Don’t forget to pray and have a great day!