Broken Crayons in God’s Story
By Dean Collins
About 400 years had passed since God had spoken through his prophets. The people of God waited for real deliverance. Their story, God's story, even our story is all about deliverance and ultimately redemption.
For me there are two wonderful aspects to the birth narratives we read in the gospels. First, God uses broken people. Second, it's normal to feel some fear when he chooses you.
All throughout the Bible, from cover to cover, we read the great drama of scripture unfold. God has a perfect plan and as he colors the pages of this grand drama, he opens the crayon box and instead of pulling out the new and beautiful crayons, he chooses the broken ones to add color to his story. The New Testament begins with a genealogy of well-known Jewish characters, and Matthew wants the Jewish reader to notice the pedigree of the soon-coming Savior. But don't forget to notice that in this lineup of Jewish fathers, there are stories of indiscretion, adultery, incest, murder, prostitution, and deceit. Hundreds of sermons are written every year during advent that discuss God's unlikely choices in this genealogy. The beauty of this lineup reminds us that God can, does, and always will use broken crayons in his redemption story. You and I have an opportunity to be used today in creating beauty and in bringing restoration to someone God loves.
As the plot unfolds in the birth narrative, we notice a lot of characters who experience fear at their selection as characters. Zechariah the priest was afraid when the angel visited him in the temple, and his response was to challenge that Gabriel was telling the truth! Mary was afraid when she learned that she would become the mother of the Savior of the world. Joseph was afraid of the consequences of being engaged to a pregnant woman who was not carrying his child. The shepherds were afraid when the angel appeared to them during their night watch, making them the first to tell of a Savior who was born.
I don't know about you, but I often feel fear when God chooses me to play a part in his grand drama. I often feel like I wasn't even looking for the part and yet the director has cast me in a particular role. But here is the real good news: we have thousands of years of well documented history to remind us that when God chooses broken people to do his work, it always works out!
So, clean yourself up the best you can today and then let God do the rest. I think we both might be in the next scene.
Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 1:2-3, 5-6, 16-17,19-21; Luke 1:12-13, 26-27, 30-31, 2:1-2, 6-11 ESV
Photo by Pexels
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