John
is a humble, uneducated man. Yet God used him to start the peace process in
Mozambique. His name is not mentioned in any official documents; all he did was
arrange a meeting between two of his acquaintances— Kenyan Ambassador Bethuel
Kiplagat and a Mozambican. But that introduction set in motion the events that
led to a peace treaty after a 10-year civil war.
From that
experience, Ambassador Kiplagat learned the importance of respecting everyone.
“You never dismiss people because they are not educated, because they are
white, because they are black, because they are women, because they are old or
young. Every encounter is sacred, and we need to value that encounter,” the
ambassador said. “You never know what word might be there for you.”
The Bible
confirms that this is true. Naaman was a great man in Syria when he got the
dreaded disease of leprosy. A servant girl whom he had captured from Israel
told Naaman’s wife that the prophet Elisha could heal him. Because Naaman was
willing to listen to this lowly servant girl, his life was spared and he came
to know the one true God (2 Kings 5:15).
God often
speaks through those to whom few are willing to listen. To hear God, be sure to
listen to the humble.
God uses
ordinary people to carry out His extraordinary plan. (RBC)
