“God Uses Ordinary People”
“When the
sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons
of Israel to deliver them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.”
(v.9)
Reading
the book of Judges, with its battles and mighty warriors, can sometimes feel
like reading about the modern day Avengers. We have Deborah, Barak, Gideon, and
Samson. However, in the line of judges (or deliverers), we also find Othniel.
Who? Othniel!
The
account of Othniel is short (vv.9-11) but what it tells us is: the Lord
raised him up as a deliver” (v.9), “the Spirit of the Lord was upon him”
(v.10), “the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand
(v.10), and “the land rested for forty years” (v.11).
The Othniel account helps us focus on what is most important—the
activity of God. God often uses ordinary people for His extraordinary work. It
is His light shining through our lives that glorifies God and draws others to
Him.
When others look at our life, may they
see God—not us.
The Truth
“Let your
light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
