The Lord Can Use You

Devotional

Day 1: Breaking the Cycle by Remembering God’s Constant Faithfulness

We often find ourselves in a repetitive cycle where we start with great passion for God, only to let that vigor wane over time. As we become more shallow and start looking for other things to fulfill us, we eventually realize we have lost our way. When we finally cry out in our distress, we find that God is ready to hear us and bring us back to Him. This pattern reminds us that our own strength is temporary, but His mercy is new every morning. He does not force our worship but waits for us to recognize that other gods bring only burden and enslavement. [07:38]

The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. (Judges 3:7-9 ESV)

Reflection: When you look at the current pace of your spiritual life, are there any "other gods" or distractions you have begun to bow down to, and how can you cry out to the Lord today?

Day 2: Relying on the Holy Spirit Rather Than Personal Pedigree

It is easy to look at people with great family lineages or impressive academic degrees and assume they are the only ones God can use. While natural gifts and education are worth honoring, the most important quality in any leader is being led by the Spirit of the Lord. Like Othniel, whose name reminds us that God is our strength, we must realize that our background is secondary to our obedience. True impact comes not from our own academic degrees or pedigree, but from a heart that listens to the Lord’s direction. When we are led by the Spirit, God can accomplish great things through our lives regardless of our status. [14:44]

The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. (Judges 3:10-11 ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your service or work have you been relying more on your own talents than on the leading of the Holy Spirit, and what would it look like to pause and ask for His strength today?

Day 3: Allowing God to Turn Your Weakness Into a Weapon

We often try to hide the parts of ourselves that feel disabled, restricted, or unimpressive. However, the story of Ehud shows us that God can take what we consider a limitation and turn it into a unique tool for His purposes. Your weakness does not disqualify you; instead, it can become the very thing that allows you to move in ways a traditional warrior never could. When we stop trying to be flashy or heroic in the world's eyes, we create space for God’s power to be made perfect in our frailty. The things you might be embarrassed about are often the very things God wants to use for His glory. [29:48]

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV)

Reflection: Is there a specific failure or "broken" part of your story that you have been hiding, and how might God be inviting you to share that experience to encourage someone else this week?

Day 4: Using What Is Already in Your Hand for God

Many of us wait for the perfect conditions or a special set of skills before we believe we can be useful to the Kingdom. Yet, God often uses ordinary people with ordinary farm tools to bring about extraordinary victories. Whether it is your kitchen, your administrative skills, or your ability to pray, God asks you to use what you already have in your hand. You do not need a royal family background or years of specialized training to make a profound impact on your neighborhood. When we offer our simple, everyday abilities to Him, He provides the increase and the victory. [36:36]

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel. (Judges 3:31 ESV)

Reflection: Looking at the "ordinary tools" in your life—your home, your specific job skills, or your daily routine—what is one concrete way you can use one of them to serve someone in your community this week?

Day 5: Walking in Humility and Obedience Like Our Savior

The message of the Gospel is often the opposite of the message of the world, which celebrates strength, honor, and boastful power. Jesus did not come as a heroic warrior on a white horse, but as a humble servant riding a donkey to the cross. We are called to follow this same path, setting aside our own will and pride to say, "Not my will, but Yours be done." When we allow the Spirit to work through our humility, we see lives changed, homes reconciled, and righteousness displayed. Our goal is to walk in a manner worthy of Him, trusting that an ordinary person with an extraordinary God can change the world. [40:28]

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 ESV)

Reflection: Think of a relationship or situation where you have been tempted to lead with pride; how might choosing the path of a humble servant change the way you interact there tomorrow?

Sermon Summary

Judges chapter three is presented as a compact gallery of unlikely rescues that expose how God raises deliverers from unexpected places. The narrative opens with a vivid rescue tale of an ordinary citizen who, by boldness and conviction, alters a nation's fate—setting the tone for three distinct judges: Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar. Othniel embodies the gifted, rightful leader: honored lineage, scholarly reputation, and military success, yet his victory is framed decisively by being “led by the Spirit of the Lord,” showing that pedigree and ability matter only insofar as they answer to divine direction.

Ehud’s episode turns the heroic ideal upside down. A left-handed, physically impaired Benjamite uses what the world sees as liability—a bound right hand and a hidden short blade—to bring down the bloated tyranny of King Eglon. The story leans into irony and dark humor to illustrate theological truth: God can invert expectations, humbling proud powers through what seems weak or absurd. The grotesque details emphasize the humiliation of oppressive idols and rulers when exposed to God’s surprising methods.

Shamgar’s single-verse legend drives home the same point from another angle. An outsider, possibly tied to Canaanite religious roots, takes up an ox goad—an ordinary farming tool—and defeats six hundred Philistines. The economy of the account celebrates practical, everyday means used by a sovereign God to produce extraordinary peace and deliverance.

Together these snapshots form a pastoral theology of deployment: God raises rescuers in seasons of forgetfulness, bondage, repentance, and restoration. Leadership is not confined to the pedigreed, the eloquent, or the conventionally powerful. Instead, God honors Spirit-led gifts, repurposes weaknesses, and multiplies ordinary tools when people are willing to act in faith. The passage invites listeners to see personal failures, small skills, and marginalized statuses not as disqualifications but as potential instruments in God’s hands, summoned by humility, obedience, and the Spirit to restore communities and bring lasting peace.

Key Takeaways

1. God uses Spirit-led gifts God’s endorsement of a leader is shown less by résumé than by the Spirit’s direction. When gifts and training are submitted to God’s leading, they become channels for deliverance rather than trophies of self-sufficiency. The text calls leaders to cultivate dependence on the Spirit so ability is harnessed for God’s purposes. [14:17]
2. Weakness becomes a weapon What culture labels as defect or shame can be the very means of overturning oppression when surrendered to God. Ehud’s bound right hand and hidden blade dramatize how limitation reframes strategy and stealth, exposing the hollowness of proud power. This invites honest confession and vulnerability, trusting God to redeem perceived liabilities into instruments of salvation. [19:29]
3. Ordinary tools, extraordinary results God’s victories often arrive through the commonplace—an ox goad, a meal, a skilled hand—so ministry readiness is not determined by prestige but by willingness to act. Shamgar’s unlikely triumph affirms that vocational ordinaryness can become sacramental when offered to God. Believers should steward daily skills and simple tools as potential means of communal deliverance. [34:43]
4. The cyclical pattern of faith The judges’ stories sit inside a rhythm of faithfulness, falling, bondage, repentance, and rescue—a mirror of communal and personal spiritual life. Awareness of that cycle breeds humility and urgency: spiritual complacency risks loss, while repentance invites God’s restorative work. The pattern encourages steady dependence on God and the readiness to heed His call in each season. [07:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - Opening illustration: a bold ordinary man
[02:18] - Introducing Judges 3: three judges
[05:18] - The Judges cycle explained
[08:13] - Othniel: gifted and Spirit-led
[15:31] - Ehud: the unexpected, left-handed deliverer
[34:19] - Shamgar: outsider with an ox goad
[36:22] - Practical application: use what you have
[39:24] - Closing prayer and charge

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

Judges 3 (ESV)

Observation questions

The sermon describes a recurring pattern in the book of Judges: serving the Lord, forgetting the Lord, bowing to other gods, being handed over to enemies, crying out in distress, and God sending a deliverer. [05:18] Where do you see the elements of this cycle in the stories of Othniel (vv. 7-11) and Ehud (vv. 12-15)?
The first judge, Othniel, is described as having a great family lineage (Caleb’s nephew) and being a gifted warrior. What specific phrase in verse 10 is highlighted as the most important reason for his success? [14:17]
In the story of Ehud, what were his physical and tribal characteristics that made him an unlikely hero? (vv. 15-16) [22:18] How did these "disadvantages" actually help him succeed in his mission?
Shamgar’s story is told in a single verse (v. 31). What ordinary farm tool did he use, and what extraordinary victory did he win with it? [35:43]

Interpretation questions

Othniel was a gifted, natural leader, but the text emphasizes that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him.” Why is it so important that even the most capable and qualified leaders depend on the Spirit’s leading rather than their own strength or pedigree?
The story of Ehud and King Eglon is filled with dark humor and grotesque details, such as the king’s extreme obesity and the humiliating way he died. [27:32] What theological point is being made by showing a proud, oppressive ruler being brought down in such a ridiculous and disgusting manner by a disabled man?
Ehud was from the tribe of Benjamin, which means “son of my right hand,” yet he was a man whose right hand was disabled. [23:12] How does this irony illustrate the principle that our weaknesses, when surrendered to God, can become our greatest weapons?
Shamgar was likely an outsider, not even from a Hebrew family line, yet God used him to save Israel. [35:12] What does his brief story teach us about who God is willing to use and what kind of resources He can work with?

Application questions

The "cycle of judges" can often mirror our own spiritual lives—seasons of passion followed by forgetfulness and compromise. [07:38] In what area of your life do you feel the pull of this cycle right now? What does it look like to "cry out to the Lord" in that specific area?
God can use the things we are most embarrassed about for His glory. Ehud’s disability was his secret weapon. [30:18] Is there a past failure, a personal struggle, or a perceived weakness that you have been hiding? How might God want to use that very thing as a source of ministry and connection with others?
Shamgar used what he had—an ox goad—to achieve an incredible victory. We are challenged to use what we already have in our hands for God’s purposes. [32:20] What is one ordinary skill, resource, or relationship in your life right now that you could offer to God for His work?
We often look for leaders who are impressive, polished, and have a great résumé, like Othniel. But God also raises up unexpected leaders like Ehud and Shamgar. Who are the quiet, unassuming, or "unlikely" people in your life or church that God might be using in powerful ways? How can you better recognize and encourage them?
The message of the gospel is the opposite of the world’s message of power and strength; it’s a story of a humble servant on a donkey. [28:58] Where are you currently tempted to rely on the world’s methods of strength, pride, or self-sufficiency instead of humbly trusting in God’s power?
Ehud saw the oppression around him and took action, trusting God to lead him. [31:35] What is one area of brokenness or need in your family, workplace, or community where you feel God might be prompting you to step out in faith, even if you feel unqualified?

Sermon Clips

``And isn't that the story of the gospel? Isn't that the story of the gospel? Jesus didn't come in as a heroic warrior riding on the white horse, did he? He came in as a humble servant riding on the back of a donkey. Jesus didn't come in with a mighty army to trump and to release Jerusalem. Jesus came in as a humble servant being ultimately led by an army up to the cross where he died and he said, not my will, but your will be done, father. The message of the gospel is the opposite of the message of the world, and we need to trust in God and not our strength. We need to trust in the Lord and not our own leadings, not our own physical needs, not our own pride or our own narratives. We need to be humble just like Jesus was and says, Lord, not my will, but your will be done. And we need to allow the spirit to work in and through us. [00:28:37] (62 seconds) #HumbleLikeJesus

As they forget the lord, they forget the blessings of him. What happens is they start to worship the gods of the people around them. So there's a cycle because where they bow down. But then the next one is the lord hands them over to their enemies. As they begin to worship the other enemies, god doesn't come in and force them to worship him. He says, you wanna worship that? Go ahead and worship that. And god hands them over to their enemies to worship. But then after that, after you handed, the people cry out in distress because they realize their enemies, their other gods, don't bring fulfillment, peace, and hope to them all. Brings burden and enslavement, and so they cry out to the lord. They cry out to the lord, and what happens? The lord sends a judge. The lord raises a judge, and he rescues him from the trials. [00:06:08] (47 seconds) #ForgetGodLoseBlessings

Wow. Church, there's a lot in there, and I don't know if I relate the humor enough, but but what does a book look like in real life for us? God uses the things that you're embarrassed about. Church, God can use the things that you're embarrassed about. In the years of ministry, I have been participant of. This is something I can tell you. The thing you're embarrassed about is probably your greatest ministry of all. The time where you failed and you are worshiping other gods or you're worshiping the world, and then you turned around and you cried out and God saved you. That is the message that you get to share with others. Others. That is the beauty of the gospel, the beauty of the fact that god can use what you're embarrassed about. [00:29:50] (47 seconds) #BrokennessBecomesMinistry

And after a period of time, what do they do after they serve the Lord? They forget. They forget. Right? We probably all feel the same thing in our life personally where we serve. We have great passion, great vigor, great energy, and then pretty soon it wanes and it falls apart. And and then we stop serving the Lord. We stop with our vigor. We stop. And over a period of time this doesn't happen instantly over a period of time. We become more and more shallow, and I'll pretty soon, we start looking at other things to fulfill god's place. And if we're wise, we eventually realize that we have lost our way when we crave to god. And god sends somebody in our life to correct us, to bring us back to him, and to come back to him with great vigor only to do that cycle again. [00:06:56] (42 seconds) #DontForgetYourFirstLove

Ancient hero stories. Ancient hero stories. We got them. Right? Celebrates strength, honor, and power, and Ehud is none of that. Ehud is not glamorous. Ehud is a follower of of the lord. He knows that it's not by might, not by power, but by your spirit, says the lord. And Ehud sees great victory in his wins. [00:28:10] (26 seconds) #VictoryBySpiritNotMight

Don't wait for the fact that what if Ehud waited and said, you know, I'm not like I'm not like Ophmiel. I'm not like Ophmiel. I don't come from a royal family. My uncle wasn't Caleb. He wasn't over there in Egypt. He didn't see the plagues. He didn't see the crossing. He didn't see that. And because I am not like him, I can't be used. What I think about being a pastor for years is I know that that's an excuse that so many people use. I'm not like you, pastor Paul. You know, I I don't have years of seminary. I don't have years of ministry experience. I'm not like you. No. You're gifted in better ways than I am. You're more talented than other things. And so if together, we join hands, man, God can use us greatly. [00:33:20] (44 seconds) #NoMoreExcuses

But, however, whether he's a scholar or whether he has great lineage, that is not the most important thing for him. That's not the most important thing for us. There's a key little caveat in the text. You ready? Are you reading? You might have figured it out underlined it. He was led by the spirit of the lord. Amen. You know, it doesn't matter. [00:14:17] (20 seconds) #LedByTheSpirit

It is the sword the sword in the passage. He makes an 18 inch sword. And so Egud is not your traditional warrior. It's not the long sword. He's not coming in there looking to slash the king's head off. Instead, he hides the sword. A short little short sword. It is as if it is we'll put it in our language. The king got shanks instead of instead of a a sword. Right? It's just a small little sword, and and the original language would go, oh, man. That is funny. He makes a sword, but it's a wrong kind of sword because he is the wrong kind of warrior, because he is the wrong kind of leader. He is the wrong person, a disabled person. Can't lead Israel. [00:25:11] (44 seconds) #SmallSwordBigImpact

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The Lord Can Use You

Devotional

Day 1: Breaking the Cycle by Remembering God’s Constant Faithfulness

Day 2: Relying on the Holy Spirit Rather Than Personal Pedigree

Day 3: Allowing God to Turn Your Weakness Into a Weapon

Day 4: Using What Is Already in Your Hand for God

Day 5: Walking in Humility and Obedience Like Our Savior

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

The Lord Can Use You

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