December 13: He Looked on a Lowly Servant

Do you ever feel too ordinary, or too damaged, for God to use?

Mary was a teenage girl from a small town nobody respected. She had no money, no title and no influence. When the angel told her she would carry the Son of God, she had every reason to say, “Why me?” And her pregnancy would bring whispers and suspicion. Her reputation was on the line.

Her response is one of the most beautiful songs in Scripture. My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has looked at the humble state of His servant.

She didn’t say God chose her because she was impressive. She said He looked at her lowliness. He saw someone small and overlooked, and that’s exactly who He picked.

Many people in recovery feel like the last ones God would choose. Too much damage. Too many years wasted. Too many people hurt. Who would listen to someone like that? How could God use a life like that?

That’s precisely the kind of life God loves to use. All through the Bible, He picks the unlikely. The youngest son. The stammerer. The shepherd boy. The fisherman. The tax collector. The persecutor. The unknown girl in Nazareth. Over and over, God works through people the world overlooks, so that it’s clear the power is His.

Step Twelve is not for impressive people. It’s for people who’ve been rescued and want to pass it on. Your weakness doesn’t disqualify you. It’s part of your message. When someone sees what God has done in a life like yours, they start to believe He might do it in theirs.

If you use the Steps & Scripture app, Jimmy or Sarah can help you think through where to start serving. But you don’t need anyone’s permission. God already looked at you and chose you.

One thing today

Read Mary’s whole song in Luke 1:46-55. Underline the lines about God lifting up the humble. Then thank Him for looking at you, too.

A prayer

My soul magnifies You, Lord. You looked at me when I was low. Thank You for choosing ordinary, broken people. Use my life, just as it is, to show others what You can do. Amen.

God uses ordinary people in Step Twelve.

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