Taking

Amos 7:14,15 "I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.'"

Amos was stirring things up and Amaziah, the priest of Bethel didn't like it. He went to Amos and confronted him about some of the things he was saying against the king of Israel. Amaziah basically said: "Get out of here. Give your prophecy to Judah but don't do it here any longer." Amos' reply? "I was not a prophet and I am not the son of a prophet. I was a simple shepherd and farmer. But then something amazing happened. God saw this simple, insignificant shepherd and He took me. It wasn't something I was looking for. I was going about my daily routine of watching the sheep and God changed everything. He called me to be a prophet to Israel."

"Then the Lord took me…" This taking is when God captured Amos. He seized Him. He removed him from his life of being a shepherd and made him a prophet. That is just like God. He takes us when we least expect it. He did it to Amos as he followed the flock and He made him a prophet. He did it to Moses while he was out tending his father in law's sheep and called him from a burning bush. And think about Mary. Just going about, living her life, making plans for a wedding, and all of a sudden an angel appears to her and tells her that she is going to give birth to God's Son. Talk about a shock! The cool thing is that God took these simple, ordinary people and made them extraordinary in His kingdom. God captured their hearts and used them in unimaginable ways.

This makes me wonder…what else does God want to do with me? He has captured my heart and He has allowed me to do some things that I would never have ever imagined. Teach? Lead worship? Elder? Give me a break! I couldn't talk in front of people, I would get too nervous. Then my pastor decades ago asked me to lead singing and I was unbelievably reluctant. And serve others in the capacity that God has placed me and to let me see Him work in the way that He is…crazy. I wasn't a prophet or the son of a prophet either, but He allows me to speak His word to hundreds of people. That is nuts! Yet, I am a simple guy in the hands of a mighty God. As Louie Giglio says: "I am not, but I know I AM". That makes all the difference. We know I AM. He wants to take us and use us in extraordinary ways for His kingdom. I know that He still has more for me.

As I said a few days ago: We are nothing…God is everything and He wants to take us simple, ordinary, insignificant people and make us something. Not for our glory, but for His.

God is still in the taking business.