This is the overview of twelve people in the Bible who did not seem to be destined for greatness. Many of them had humble beginnings, and most of them failed greatly, so much so that we would write them off God’s “useable” list. Those written about are: Enoch, Joseph, Miriam, Gideon and Samson, Jonathan, Jonah, Esther, John the Baptist, James the brother of our Lord, Mark and Onesimus. The author takes us through the problems each faced, to the beautiful way God used their lives.
There were many points in this book that required a highlighter! I love to read how God takes a weakness, and makes Himself great through them. One of my favorites was the chapter on Gideon and Samson. Gideon started out as such a coward, and as Mr. MacArthur points out, “That the Lord selected Gideon as the answer to deliver Israel is proof that His power cannot be limited even by the most unlikely human instrument.” And in bold contrast, Samson was too strong for his own good. He was strong enough to kill with ease, but too weak to resist temptation. But God used each of them in a mighty way! Another of my favorites was reading about John the Baptist. He was SO different from any other prophet. His clothing, eating, and habits were so drastic. But he was perfect to prepare the way of the Lord, because Jesus would change things when He came. John prepared the people for some shaking up!
A few of the chapters were a little dry, but all contained great truth. This is a very encouraging read. One of the last sentences in the book sums it up: “If God didn’t use imperfect people, He wouldn’t have anyone to use.”
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The Boyer Story 