Ordinary

It is while we are living our lives to the fullest, being the person we were created to be in an ordinary way that God meets with us for the extraordinary.

Nehemiah had got a job with king Artaxerxes as his cup bearer. He served the king with a pure heart, so that when an extraordinary assignment came, the king was able to release him. It was doing the ordinary where he got the connections which helped him for his assignment. The king was able to give him some recommendations to the governor of the river Euphrates so he could pass through their territories safely, and to the manager of the king’s forest to give him timber for his assignment.

Jacob was on the run to save his life, but it while he was sleeping that he had an encounter with the Lord. He. God told him He was giving him the ground he was sleeping on and that his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth (Genesis 28:10-22). God is everywhere, in everything, even when we are doing an ordinary thing such as sleeping. God can meet with us any time.

It was while David was taking care of his dad’s flock that God was equipping him for what he was to face. So, when king Saul doubted his ability to face Goliath, David proudly said he had experience while tending his dad’s flock (1 Samuel 17:34). It was through David taking sandwiches to his brothers, and his curiosity, that he heard about Goliath defying God.

God was setting him up for the extraordinary through ordinary occurrences. Even after he was anointed by Samuel, David went back to ordinary life. He never attempted to overthrow King Saul. It was through the ordinary circumstances of life that he finally ended up on the throne.

Whether you’re looking after the flock or you’re a lunch delivery lad, you shouldn’t regard what you are doing as unimportant. It could be the training ground for where the Lord wants you to be.

It was while Moses was tending his Father-in-law’s flock, and again curiosity, which led him to the burning bush. It wasn’t until he went closer to the burning bush that God spoke to him (Exodus 3:3-4). Who knew? God can even use curiosity to connect us with our destiny.

It was while he was doing an ordinary thing such as searching for lost donkeys that God anointed Saul as the king of Israel (1Samuel 9:15). God had told Samuel that he was sending a man to him to be anointed. You would have thought God would have called Saul and told him directly, or that Samuel would have sent an official letter requesting Saul to meet him and be anointed. But no! God used ordinary circumstances for the divine appointment. What if Saul had despised searching his dad’s lost donkeys?

Sometimes we miss out as we wait for a supernatural sign from God. We take no notice of mundane tasks, thinking they are not spiritual enough for God to speak to us. Peter Horrobin, the founder of Ellel ministries was just following his passion for classic cars, covered in grease and oil, trying to restore a 1933 Alvis Speed 20 Sports car, when The Lord spoke to him. The car had been stolen, crashed, vandalised, set on fire and dumped in the River Mersey! Peter heard the Lord say, “You could restore this broken car, but I can restore broken lives. Which is more important? Broken cars or broken people?” Peter wanted to say the broken car, but he knew that was the wrong answer. His compassionate heart responded to what God was saying and he never forgot the moment when God said to him “I can restore broken lives”. Out of this ordinary activity, the vision for Ellel Ministries was birthed.

Prayer: Lord, help me not to despise the ordinary things of life, waiting for a bigger and more spectacular sign. Let me make use of every ordinary opportunity You bring my way, holding nothing back, but with a heart of gratitude. in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.