I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30

On October 21, 1855, a Sunday school teacher by the name of Ed Kimball went to the store where one of his students was working, and there in a back room, Kimball challenged Dwight Moody to become a Christian.  Raised by a Unitarian mother, young Dwight knew about God, but under Kimball he came to know Jesus Christ.  Later known as D. L. Moody, this man had a powerful exuberance for God.  Leaving school to work in his uncle’s shoe store, Moody never got an advanced education.  His grammar was terrible.  When he was once asked about his theology, he said he didn’t have any.  The Congregational church where he attended agreed with him, and turned him down when he asked to be ordained as a minister.

But there was one thing that Moody did have—a great heart for God and a desire to serve Him.  If Moody wasn’t the first to say it, he at least lived out the words of Henry Varley, who said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.”

Of course, Moody knew that he lacked much.  But he who lacks much has to trust much, and Moody did just that.   After his death, his son, Paul, wrote that to the day of his home-going, Moody was in awe of two things: one, how he could have married such a wonderful woman, whom he credited with being the real anchor for his children, and two, how God could use him in spite of what he considered to be his handicaps in life.

There is a good possibility that when you get to heaven you may ask a similar question:  “Why, God, did you chose to use me when others were more qualified?” Moody is a prime example of those who are unlikely candidates for success—lacking education, resources, and good family connections—yet, are used by God in a special way.  A study of history as well as biblical characters demonstrates that very often those who seem to have much going for them are not the ones who are used by God to the greatest degree.  Those who have much by way of charisma, education, charm and connections tend to be like the flea on the back of the elephant who made the bridge shake as it crossed, and says the flea, “Look what we did!”

But there is one thing for sure.  Men such as Moody who are used by God leave no one a real excuse as to why he can’t do anything.  Today, though, we are overwhelmed by a mentality that says the needs of the world are so great, and I am so weak and powerless, that I can’t do anything; so instead of doing what we can, we tend to sit back and ignore the fact that something can be done.

Long ago, to a king who had forgotten that God was enough and forged an alliance with a pagan king, God sent a prophet with this message:  “The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

There’s good news, friend.  You, plus God, always make a majority, no matter your work environment, no matter what you may lack which qualifies you in society.  What counts is that you have a heart which is fully committed to God and you make yourself available, willing to be used by God.  May God give us more Moodys who are willing to let God have what they have and give Him the credit for what He does.

Resource reading:  Joshua 1:2-18