Remnant

When my daughter first became a teacher, she taught kindergarten.
How different her classroom looked then compared to her second grade classroom now.
Kindergarten has play kitchens and manipulatives to practice counting.
It has lots of crayons, art supplies, play-doh, and picture books.

The one thing she needed at the time were small carpet squares.
The children would all gather around her wicker rocking chair as she read to them.
As they had their circle time, she wanted them to have their own little carpet to sit on.

My youngest daughter and I went to a carpet store to see if they had any remnants.
We have plenty…all ready for you to cut to any size you need.
Thank you. This is for a kindergarten class…
No need to say any more. Come over here.

We were led to an out-of-the-way corner.
There, stacked precariously high against the wall, were carpet squares of different colors.
Plush and already cut into perfect squares.
It was exactly what she needed!

I asked how much I owed them for the twenty-five squares I would be choosing.
Nothing…just take them…we want to support our teachers.
What a blessing!
My daughter and I proceeded to choose colors.
There were even pink ones, but we knew an argument might ensue over who gets that one!

We drove over to the school at the end of the day and dropped off the carpet squares.
Remnants.
Pieces that nobody else wanted.
Still incredibly useful.

God loves remnants!
God uses remnants all the time for His Glory and His purpose.

I am so glad He does!
Over and over the Bible shows us the rag-tag people God uses for His kingdom work.
People with flaws and foibles.

Moses killed an Egyptian. (Exodus 2:11,12)
Jacob was a deceiver. (Genesis 27)
David committed adultery. (2 Samuel 11)
Saul was a terrorist and breathed murderous threats against the disciples. (Acts 9)

If God can use them, He surely can use me and you, too!

Jesus chose twelve ordinary men to be His disciples.
They were not part of the elite group of the Scribes and the Pharisees.
Some were fishermen, one was a tax collector, others we know nothing about.
In the hands of these twelve men was the future of the church.

The disciples had flaws and foibles.
They argued about who was the greatest.
Two were nicknamed Sons of Thunder.
One put his hand in the money bag and would ultimately betray Jesus.

They were a rag-tag group if ever there was one!

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand…When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:1-4,13)

Rag-tag, ordinary, unschooled.
They were the remnants…not at all the ones you would expect to be chosen.

God does not choose us because of anything we can bring to the table.
He chooses us because of what He can do in us and through us.
God can do much with a remnant because a remnant gives Him the most glory.

Isn’t it wonderful that we don’t have to have our act together for God to choose us?
Isn’t it comforting that we can come to Him with our flaws and He can make us new?
Isn’t it amazing that God would look at the carpet squares of our life and see a beautifully woven masterpiece?

But God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

What makes a remnant not a remnant?
Simply being with Jesus!

To the world, you are ready for the trash heap.
To the world, you are easily discarded.

The world will stack you precariously high against the wall and point to you in disdain.

Not God!

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hand. (Isaiah 49:15,16)

The world engraves the word: REMNANT.
God engraves the word: MASTERPIECE.

Cherish how very special you are…flaws and all!
God will change the remnant into something beautiful!