Chosen in Weakness, Carried in Purpose
A flashlight only shines when filled with power. Our lives shine only when filled with Jesus.
Devotional Credit: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Oswald Chambers reminds us today that God's choice of us is not based on any strength, talent, or virtue we possess. In fact, it is our poverty that qualifies us. When we still believe we have something valuable to offer apart from Jesus, we tend to cling to our own goals and ambitions. But when we come to the end of ourselves, we become usable to God. That’s when He draws us into the deeper places, even into the costly journey to “Jerusalem,” where His purposes unfold.
This devotional reframes the idea of divine selection. It’s not about human credentials. Not wisdom, not influence, not pedigree. It’s about being emptied of self so that we can be filled with what God alone supplies. The strength, wisdom, and direction must come from Him, not from us. What matters is not what we bring to the table but what God places within us by His Spirit.
Chambers goes even further by calling this relationship with God a “comradeship.” This is not the cold, formal relationship of duty but the shared intimacy of walking together in mission. But God can only entrust that kind of relationship to those who no longer cling to their own cause. Our only responsibility is to guard that relationship, not with striving but with surrender. The greatest threat to this fellowship is distraction or independence, not incompetence.
This is a beautiful reminder that the core of Christianity is not what we do for God but how closely we walk with Him. Out of that intimacy flows everything He wants to do in and through us.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You were not chosen for what you could offer. You were chosen because I loved you. I did not call the wise or the strong by the world’s standards. I called the willing. I called the empty. I called the poor in spirit, and I filled them with Myself.
You are not walking alone. I walk with you. You are not serving from your own strength. I work in you to will and to do according to My good pleasure. You were not appointed to succeed in your own name but to abide in Mine. Let Me be your sufficiency. Let Me be your direction. Let Me be your life.
Guard our fellowship. Let nothing hinder it. When distractions arise, return to Me. When your heart drifts, remember that I have not moved. The most important thing about your life is not your performance but your dependence. Do not look at what you can offer. Look at who I am within you.
My purpose is bigger than you can imagine, but My presence is always enough. You are My beloved, and I have drawn you into My purposes not because you were worthy but because I am faithful.
Scripture References: Luke 18:31, 1 Corinthians 1:26–29, Philippians 2:13, 2 Corinthians 12:9–10, Galatians 2:20, John 15:4–5, Romans 8:28–30, Matthew 5:3, Isaiah 42:6, John 14:23, 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Real-Life Analogy
Picture a flashlight with no batteries inside. You can hold it up, aim it, and even clean it to make it look ready, but until it's filled, it remains powerless. Only when the batteries are inserted does the light shine.
We are like that flashlight. No matter how polished we may look on the outside, we were never designed to shine from our own power. Only when filled with the life of Jesus do we illuminate what He intends. Our part is not to power the light, but to remain available and aligned.
So today, when you feel incapable or unqualified, pause and say to the Lord, “I trust You to shine through me in this moment, not because I have something to offer, but because You have everything I need.” Whether you are facing a conversation, a responsibility, or even a quiet moment of prayer, know that your dependence is the key to His radiance.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, thank You that You did not choose me because I was strong. You chose me because You are. I praise You that Your purpose does not rest on my performance but on our relationship. Thank You for dwelling in me, leading me, and working through me.
I rest today in the truth that You will accomplish all You desire through my life, not because I am useful, but because I am Yours. I yield every outcome to You and rejoice in being Your companion on this journey of grace. I walk with You today in trust.