3 Ordinary Guys

So I’m reading through the book of Ezekiel and come across the following passage –

“Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.” – Ezekiel 14:13-14 NIV

Basically God is talking to the prophet about how sinful Jerusalem has become. What stood out to me were the three names. I mean there were dozens of righteous men and women who had lived before this time that God could have chosen. Why Noah, Daniel & Job? I’ve been praying and pondering on that for a few days and this is the conclusion I’ve come to –

God does extraordinary things for ordinary people who are radically devoted to Him.

Noah built a huge boat… in the middle of the desert… when it had never rained before. He was radically obedient. God saved Noah, his family and all of humanity because of it.

Daniel refused to eat meat sacrificed to idols… and prayed to God even though it might cost him his life. He was radically committed. God promoted him, protected him in the lions’ den and destroyed his enemies.

Job praised God… when he lost his wealth… and his children… and his health. He was radically faithful. God paid him back double for everything that the enemy had stolen.

We often think of these guys, and other men and women like them in the Bible, as super-saints. The reality is that they were ordinary people in difficult situations who chose to trust God in spite of the world around them.

Noah was ridiculed by everyone around him and had to do a ridiculous amount of work. What God asked him to do made absolutely no earthly sense.

Daniel was carried off into captivity to serve an ungodly king and was sentenced to death for doing what was right.

Job lost everything he had, then was unjustly accused by his ‘friends’ and tormented by his wife just because God pointed him out to the devil.

We can be radically obedient, radically committed and radically faithful even though we are just ordinary people. And I believe we will see God do extraordinary things in our lives and through our lives because of it.

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” - John 14:12-14 NIV

‘I’m just human’ isn’t a legitimate excuse for those who know Jesus to settle for ordinary. God expects us to be the Noahs, the Daniels and the Jobs of today so that He gets the glory and we get the rewards!