God Uses Weak Things Series

GOD USES WEAK THINGS

By Rev. Samuel Arimoro

Main Text: Judges 3

Judges 3:15, 31 (KJV)

“But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab… And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.”

Supporting Texts: 1 Corinthians 1:27-29; Zechariah 4:6; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

INTRODUCTION:

Judges 3 introduces us to some of the earliest deliverers God raised for Israel. Among them were Ehud, a left–handed man, and Shamgar, who used an ox goad as his weapon. These men did not appear impressive in human standards, but God used them mightily to bring deliverance to His people.

Ehud was a left–handed Benjamite—something considered a weakness in his time. Yet, God used that weakness as a strength to deliver Israel from Moabite oppression. Shamgar, with no sword or spear, defeated 600 Philistines with a simple farming tool, an ox goad.

This chapter teaches us that God does not look for ability but availability. He specialises in using weak things, small things, and unlikely vessels to accomplish His purposes.

1. GOD SPECIALISES IN USING THE WEAK

God deliberately chooses what the world considers weak to shame the strong.

a) God’s choice confounds human wisdom

(1 Corinthians 1:27) He uses weak things to confound the mighty.

b) God’s strength is revealed in our weakness

(2 Corinthians 12:9) His grace is sufficient; His strength is perfected in weakness.

c) God looks at the heart, not outward appearance

(1 Samuel 16:7) Man looks at ability, but God looks at availability.

d) No weakness is too small for God to turn into strength

(Zechariah 4:6) Not by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit.

Biblical Example: Gideon (Judges 6:15). Though he called himself the least in his father’s house, God used him to save Israel.

2. GOD CAN USE ANYONE

Availability matters more than natural qualification.

a) God is no respecter of persons

(Acts 10:34-35) He uses whoever fears Him and does righteousness.

b) God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary

(Amos 7:14-15) Amos was a shepherd, yet God made him a prophet.

c) God equips those He calls

(Hebrews 13:21) He makes us perfect in every good work to do His will.

d) God delights in using the unlikely

(Micah 5:2) Bethlehem was small, yet chosen for the birth of Christ.

Biblical Example: The disciples (Acts 4:13). They were unlearned and ignorant men, but they turned the world upside down.

3. GOD CAN USE ANYTHING

Comment: What you have in your hand is enough if God’s power rests on it.

a) God used Moses’ rod

(Exodus 4:2-3) A simple rod became a tool for miracles.

b) God used David’s sling

(1 Samuel 17:40) A shepherd’s sling brought down a giant.

c) God used Shamgar’s ox goad

(Judges 3:31) A farming tool became a weapon of victory.

d) God used a boy’s lunch

(John 6:9-11) Five loaves and two fishes fed five thousand.

Biblical Example: Samson (Judges 15:15-16). He slew a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey.

CONCLUSION:

The stories of Ehud and Shamgar remind us that God uses weak things, weak people, and weak tools to accomplish great deliverance. What matters is not who you are or what you have, but whether you are willing and available for God to use you.

You may feel weak, unqualified, or insignificant, but God sees you as a vessel for His glory. If you place yourself in His hands, He can turn your weakness into strength and your ordinary tools into extraordinary instruments of deliverance.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Lord, make me an available vessel in Your hands.

2. Father, turn my weaknesses into strengths for Your glory.

3. Lord, use me despite my limitations.

4. Father, take what is in my hand and make it an instrument of victory.

5. Lord, remove every fear of inadequacy from my heart.

6. Father, raise me as a deliverer in my generation.

7. Lord, empower me to overcome every enemy with divine strength.

8. Father, help me to depend on Your Spirit, not on my ability.

9. Lord, use my life to confound the wisdom of the world.

10. Father, make me a channel of deliverance to others.