"Unlikely Heroes!"

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.  1 Corinthians 1:25-29
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I know that judging by the picture above you might think that today's message is about David but it isn't. It is about you and I and the times we live in but before we get to that - Stop and think for a minute just how unlikely a hero David was. There was nothing about him the screamed to the world or even his family "Hero- Here to save the day!" What about the fact that no one even bothered to send for him the day that Samuel had shown up at his house to anoint the next king. All his brothers had been paraded before Samuel as candidates but not David. Samuel had to ask, "Are all the young men here?" before anyone bothered to even consider the possibility that he as the God put it was, the one for the job. "And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!" 1 Samuel 16:12

How about that fateful day. Did David wake up and look in the mirror and say, "Today I think I"ll be a hero." No, of course not. He didn't plan it. There he was minding his own business watching the sheep doing all the chores since his brothers were away at the battle when his father calls to him because he has an errand for him. He wants him to, "Take some grain and bread to your brothers and ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand. And see how things are going" And  He shows up. Does the army rejoice because the hero of the day showed up? No! He was just the kid brother bringing a care package and getting news for his father. He was nobody special. He wasn't even in the army or there to fight. In the eyes of the world, he was the most unlikely person at the battle that day to become the hero and he used the most unlikely weapon possible.

What about Saul?  Did he look in the mirror one day and decide to become Paul an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ? Of course not. He was out there minding his own business, persecuting  Christians when bam, the Damascus road encounter takes place and the most unlikely person becomes the "chosen vessel of the Lord who will bear His name before, Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel." Acts 9:15

What about Gideon? Did he wake up one day and decide to be a hero for God and defeat the Midianites? No! Of course not. He saw himself as the least of the least. Did he end up being the hero. Yes! Did he win the battle in a way that you, I, or the world would consider foolish. Yes! There is no way that you or I would go into battle with a torch, a pitcher, a horn,  and a shout. Sounds pretty foolish but it worked becuse it was God's plan and Gideon was God's servant! Unlikely hero in the eyes of the world? Yes. Unlikely hero in the eyes of Gideon himself? Yes. Unlikely hero in hands of an amazing God? Never!

What about Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah. Unlikely heroes all the way! There they were, minding there own business being teenagers when their homes are attacked and they are taken captive and taken back to a foreign land. In the worlds eyes they are just four captive boys -'who had the ability to serve in the king's palace and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.' In the worlds eyes they could be easily controlled and manipulated and basically used, but in the hands of an amazing God these four young men became heroes of faith that impacted not only the reign of three different kings but their entire generation as well as every one that followed with the stands they took for God.

My point? Are you and I unlikely heroes in the eyes of the world? Will we, like David, take on the giants that defy God? Will our heart be full of, "Is there not a cause?" 1 Samuel 17:29 Will we stand and fight, no matter how unlikely we are to win in the eyes of those around us. Will we grab our stones and slingshot and fight?
Will we, like Saul, allow our encounter with him to erase the desires and purposes of our past and change us to the point that we even need a name change! We we, like Gideon, look past the way that we perceive ourselves and trust God to be with us, to equip us, and to fight for us. Will we trust him to enough to obey and fight in even the most foolish of ways in the eyes of the world. Will we trust and obey His plan for the battle? Will we like those heroic young men stand even in a world that is determined to train you in their ways? Will we determine not to defile ourselves but to stay true to Him and to walk only in His ways?  Daniel 1:8 Will we impact our generation out of our devotion to Him?

The truth is you and I need to know and understand that in the hands of our amazing God anyone, even the most unlikely person you know, (that includes even you and I), can become a hero of faith by the choice to trust and obey Him!