As I was praying one morning the word “unlikely” kept coming to mind. It brought to my mind those end-of-high-school statements as to who would be the most “likely” succeed, or the most “likely” be famous, etc. As I thought about that word, the Lord brought to my remembrance many in the Bible who the world might refer to as an “unlikely” to succeed. So we are going to study a few of these people this week and learn from them how to strengthen our faith walk with the Lord.

The word unlikely carries the sense that something is: not likely to happen, be done, be true, or improbable. If something is improbably, it means that there is not enough evidence as far as having experiences, beliefs, traits, or skills to prove that it is true. These outward evidences can give the appearance of someone being an “unlikely,” but that doesn’t give us the right to stay in the grips of these natural tendencies or bondages that do not exhibit God’s giftings. God look beyond those things – He sees our potential in Him. God looks at our heart and not at our outward appearance! God doesn’t necessarily look at who or what we are at the beginning of our life, He sees who He wants us to be and to accomplish.

The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:18, that we are to be “changed from glory to glory into the image of the Lord” and this happens only as we learn more and more of Him, how much He loves us, and, as we obey His Word. This means God sees potential in us that is not seen by natural eye. This means that God has plans for each of us that we will not realize, or have a revelation of, until we begin to seek Him for His plan and purposes for our lives.

As I thought about some of the “unlikely” people in the Bible who God used, I wondered what we could learn from them in our own quest to fulfill God’s purpose and plans for us. These Bible characters had struggles to overcome just as we do, but when they believed God, they did mighty courageous acts of faith. This should be our goal too – to do mighty acts of faith for God. This week we are going to look at four in the Old Testament: Joseph, Gideon, David, and Ruth. Let’s begin.

To all the “Joseph’s” who struggle to with circumstances because of lies told about you; please know that God sees your integrity. Be on guard that you are not blinded by your circumstance but keep your faith in God’s faithfulness to bring you through these rough times to a great victory. Joseph’s determination to stay true to God finally led him to be the second in command of a nation. I’m not sure if that is where God will take you, but I do know that He will bring you out of adverse situations to a great victory if you continue to walk in His love and obey His commandments. You can read about Joseph beginning in Genesis 37.

To all the “Gideon’s” who struggle with fear and to know who they really are and meant to be; let me assure you that God sees your heart yearning to trust Him. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and called him, “a mighty man of valor” before Gideon had done anything courageous. The word valor means great courage, bravery, fearlessness, and bold. God was “calling what was not as though it was” – He was calling Gideon what He saw in him, not what Gideon was exhibiting or thought of himself. The world may see you as an “unlikely” person to do great acts of faith because you demure personality, but God sees a leader with great boldness. When Gideon’s faith developed a trust in God, he was able to obey God with faith and lead an army to victory. The lesson we learn from Gideon is that when we learn how to trust God, we can face the fears that surround us with faith and become an overcomer. You can read about Gideon in Judges 6.

To all the “David’s” who are going about their daily jobs in obscurity, thinking that they are not of much importance, let it be know now that God sees you just as He saw David. Even though David’s family didn’t see much potential in him, God did! God saw David’s diligence to care and protect the sheep he guarded. God had him anointed as King over Israel; called him to fight the giant(s) in the land who were defying Almighty God. Though David made mistakes, he was quick to repent, and quick to praise God. If you relate to David, then know that God sees you – He see potential in you – God has plans for you. Learn from David: to trust God, repent quickly when necessary, and praise God with your whole being – spirit, soul, and body. Trusting God brings victory to us in whatever we do. You can read about David beginning in First Samuel 16 into Second Samuel.

To all the “Ruth’s” who have left behind the paganism of beliefs to embrace the true God; be confident that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. You are no long who you used to be – you are now a new creature in Christ – and a member of the family of God. Ruth’s transformation from an unbeliever to a believer is seen in her love for her mother-in-law Naomi, after both husbands died. Ruth’s love, devotion, and faithfulness to care for Naomi set her on a course that led her into the lineage of Jesus, the Savior, the Son of God. Her testimony gives all of us hope that God has good plans for us too. You can read about Ruth in the Book named for her in the Bible.

My prayer is that you will develop integrity like Joseph to stay true to God even in the hard times; courage like Gideon to believe who God says you are and obey His calling on your life; faith like David to face the “giants” in your life, and be quick to repent and praise God; and trust, love, and commitment like Ruth and allow God to transform you into His very image. Next time we will look at some “unlikely’s” in the New Testament.