Title

Super-Ordinary People

Scripture
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain...
(James 5:17)
Devotional
It is hard for me not to see biblical characters as bigger than life. Many did do great and mighty exploits. However, for the most part, God used fairly ordinary people to accomplish His work on the earth. Moses had a speech impediment; David was a shepherd, and Peter a fisherman. And Elijah was a man just like you and me. We are told in 1 Corinthians 1:26, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.”(1) Christ in any man equates to a mighty man of valor, and Christ in any woman equals a woman of virtue. God can take the sinful nature of man and by adding the nature of Christ make a man after His own heart. He can make a stammering Moses into the meekest of men, a shepherd boy into a man after His own heart and He can take you and me and make us into the apples of His eye.

(1) 1 Corinthians 1:26
Thought For The Night
Rosa Parks, (1913-2006) is one of the most famous names in civil rights history. In 1955, she refused to give-up her bus seat to a white man. She was arrested for her defiance. In her book Quiet Strength, Parks writes: “When I sat down on the bus that day, I had no idea history was being made—I was only thinking of getting home. But I had made up my mind… not giving up my seat—and whatever I had to face afterwards—was not important.”
 
Evening Text
James 5:17: Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain.
Looking for Answers
 
Evening Study Guide
Defining: “Nature”: The essential qualities, characteristics, and temperament of a person. 
 
Referencing: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,” Philippians 2:5 NIV.
 
Applying: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who…  made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant… He humbled Himself and became obedient,” Philippians 2:5-8.