Isaiah 46:3-4

Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all you who remain of the house of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since you were conceived,
and have carried since your birth.

Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

For the past month or so, I’ve been wrestling with a young man that I know, without any doubt, would make a great leader some day. I helped him find God last year, rejoiced with him as he discovered his faith… and then watched in sorrow as he re-made some of the mistakes of his past. I tried everything I could think of to get his attention, to correct him — to rescue him. And I was so mad at God that, if I was here doing His work, why wouldn’t He use me to save this kid?
Y’know what finally got him to his knees? I had an accident, put my arm through a window, and got rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Then he stopped to think.
But aside from what he had to learn about finding what’s right and sticking to it, even when it’s hard, I had something to learn too: It’s not my job to save anyone. And no amount of hard work, or effort on my part, can change anything. My job is to love God, serve Him humbly, and be willing to be used where ever he puts me.
It’s almost funny to me how God worked in this kid’s life. God knew I wasn’t surrendered to Him — He knew I was trying to do things under my own power. And He said “I will work on that young man, because I am the author of his faith.”
Then He said, “I’ll use you, cause you’re around — but just so you know it’s me and not you, I’m gonna use you by putting your butt in the hospital.”
I did nothing intelligent, nothing right, and nothing worthwhile. All I did was run through a glass window. There’s no pride to be had in that, there’s no credit to take. God used me, despite me, because He is the one who rescues us…and because He has plans for you, Little Jon and the rest of the VPT who are reading this, that are bigger and more amazing than you or I could ever imagine.
Don’t follow me because I look like I know what I’m doing — I’m just older than you, not more Godly.
Follow the One I follow, not because I told you to, but because He is the one who will sustain you.

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