by leaps and bounds

I was listening to the radio this week and heard the song, “Nobody” being sung by Matthew West.  I have heard this song many times before, and even heard him sing it in concert, but it hit differently today.   The words really reached out and grabbed my attention.  I have posted the first part of the song below for you to see.

“Nobody”
(originally by Casting Crowns)

Well, why You ever chose me
Has always been a mystery
See, all my life, I’ve been told I belong
At the end of the line
With all the other Not-Quites
And all the Never-Get-It-Rights
But it turns out they’re the ones You were looking for
All this time

‘Cause I’m just a nobody trying to tell everybody
All about Somebody who saved my soul
And ever since You rescued me
You gave my heart a song to sing
I’m just living for the world to see nobody but Jesus
I’m living for the world to see nobody but Jesus

Well, Moses had stage fright (Yeah)
And David brought a rock to a sword fight
You picked twelve outsiders nobody would’ve chosen
And You changed the world
Well, the moral of the story is
Everybody’s got a purpose
So when I hear that devil start talking to me, saying
“Who do you think you are?” I say
I’m just a nobody trying to tell everybody
All about Somebody who saved my soul
Well, ever since You rescued me
You gave my heart a song to sing
I’m just living for the world to see nobody but Jesus
I’m living for the world to see nobody but Jesus

In school, I was never quite an “A” student.

Never the best musician.

Never the Homecoming Queen.

Never the best mom.

Never the best at anything.

Never quite had it all together.

Then I began to wonder…

When God chose Moses, why would he choose him if he had stage fright?

Why would he choose a teenager with a slingshot to defeat a giant?

Why would he choose twelve men who were outsiders to be his disciples?

Would it have been different if he chose a king from another land to confront Pharaoh? Someone who had a lot of resources at their disposal and could make Pharaoh’s life miserable?

If he sent another giant to defeat Goliath, would it have displayed God showing up to the fight?

When Jesus chose his disciples, he did not choose the perfect ones, but rather men who were common fishermen or even an outcast tax collector who was despised by just about everyone.

Then, I began to realize that God did not call them for their skills, but rather they were called because of their obedience.  Whatever they lacked, God made it up!

In John 14:21:

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves

me will obey my teaching. 

My Father will Love them,

and we will come to them

and make our home with them.”

James 1:22:

Do not merely listen to the word,

and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.

No, we are not perfect.  Couldn’t be even if we tried, but we can be obedient.  That is all he wants; he will take care of the rest.

My prayer for today:

Heavenly Father,

I pray today for a heart of obedience.  To understand your word and to be a loyal and faithful servant. I pray that when faced with the obstacles in life that I remember your truth and stand firmly on your word even though the world may be against me. 

Even though I may be small and seem insignificant in this world, I know that my creator does not make mistakes and has a purpose and plan for my life as he does everyones life.  I pray that everyone reading this will draw closer to you and live a life of obedience so that they too will know your grace, mercy, and purpose for their lives in Christ Jesus.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

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You can reach out to the author at:  moppinguptheblessing@gmail.com for prayer requests or questions or at her Facebook page under Tammy Bassett.

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Tammy Bassett is a speaker and the author of the Mopping Up Your Blessings blog. She was born and raised a country girl who’s roots run deep in the mountains of Appalachia. She has worked a wide variety of jobs ranging from radio to insurance agent. She is now a stay-at-home mom, who along with her husband, are raising five daughters (ages 10 to 25), seven cats and one dog. She uses her accounting and business administration degree to help run her busy household.
She loves spending time with her family and homeschooling her two youngest children. She spends a lot of her day trying to conquer the obstacles in her home. With four of her children still living at home the laundry pile (nicknamed Mt. Wash-more) is her nemesis. Some days she wins and some days she doesn’t, but she always gets up the next day and tries again.
She also loves camping with her family as long as there is a camper with air conditioning, a comfy bed, and indoor plumbing. Her downfall is her obsession with iced coffee. Thankfully the closest Starbucks is an hour from her home, or she would be broke. She also loves reading and learning new skills such as homesteading, being more self-sustainable, gardening and foraging.
She relates the most to her favorite animal, the alpaca. They are both kind of weird and look like they are two months past due on a haircut. Much like alpacas she makes a gentle humming noise when happy and if irritated she often stamps the ground with her feet. Her husband has refused to buy her an alpaca much to her disappointment.
But more than anything, she loves the Lord and is growing more in her faith each day and hopes to inspire others to do the same. She wants everyone to understand that God’s grace is truly amazing and has changed her from the inside out and he can do the same for you.