Oswald Chambers Quote – Ordinary People, Extraordinary Purpose



“All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose he has given them.”

– Oswald Chambers


Oswald Chambers Quote Commentary


God Called Gideon

God has a long track record of calling people the world thinks are lightweights, cowards, or no good and making them great in his service. Who else but God called Gideon to lead the fight against the Philistines? God called Gideon even though Gideon had all the excuses in the world for not heeding the call to fight. He rattled off all excuses in the book. Still, God’s angel called him a ‘mighty man of valor.’ Gideon might have laughed since this description hardly squared with his own perception of himself.

God Called David

God called David, the son of Jesse. David was very small. David was a shepherd. Surely, God could have called his bigger and stronger brothers. Instead, God called a simple shepherd boy. Finally, God called Rahab to help the Hebrews. Surely, he could have called on a woman more reputable than a prostitute but he called Rahab. Indeed, so important was Rahab’s actions for the cause of God that Rahab is an ancestor of Jesus Christ. All these examples point to one central truth: God may not always call the equipped but he sure does equip the called.

Listed to God’s Voice and Respond

God is constantly calling all of us to do his will. The question is whether we will answer or not. From feeding the poor to helping those who can’t help themselves, there are just so many ways we can help make the world a much better place. We only need to heed the call. The problem is, a lot of people have a tough time heeding God’s call on their hearts is the fact that they don’t think they have enough time, money, resources, patience, or the personal background to provide the help God wants them to provide. The reality is that God has called people with no resources through the centuries and they have helped make miracles happen. All we need, to make extraordinary things happen, is to listen to God and follow by faith. He will supply the rest according to the riches of his grace. That’s the kind of loving Father God is. What has God been calling you to do in furthering his will? What has been the reason for your resistance? Understand that God is not calling on you to rest on your own strength but to heed the call and claim the strength and power he has ready for you.

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