Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. Judges 3:15
This begins the one of those gory Old Testament tales. But what is significant is who God chose to deliver His people. A left-handed Benjaminite. To be a Benjaminite was to be in the least powerful of the tribes, the one with the least territory and power. It was like being voted the least likely to succeed. To be left-handed meant you were to be an outcast. Left hands were unclean, so left-handed people were unclean. Cleanliness was next to godliness for the Israelites. So, God chose an outcast from the weakest link to be the deliver for His people from their enemies, the powerful,idol worshiping Moabites.
Scripture doesn’t tells us the man Jesus was tall, dark or handsome. He was ordinary looking ( John 9:16). Moses was a studderer, Jacob was described as a “plain man”, David the youngest and a shepherd. Joseph was bullied by his brothers and a dreamer. Paul was not easy on the eyes either. God takes the ordinary, often the least expected, and does mighty things. His miracle is transforming lives.
Through God, you can grow in strength, if you rely on Him and have faith. You can have courage to step out of your box and do what He asks of you. You may not see much results (and perhaps neither will others close to you), but in His timing and at His command, the least expected act can be the mustard seed that grows a tall sturdy tree.
Never buy into the negative that you are not worthy, or smart enough, or pretty enough, or good enough to be used by God. And don’t discount the lowly Benjaminites He brings into your life. With Christ as our strength, who or what can stand against us? Ehud obeyed and became bold enough to be used by God. Will you?
