“Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.” (Proverbs 22:2 NIV)
God made us all.
No matter how much money you have, or don’t have, God is our creator. God created the earth, then He created the people. We all have God in common.
A few years ago, I went on my first international mission trip to El Salvador. This trip was my first time visiting a Third World Country. In the days before I left, I was nervous about how I would connect with the people I was going to serve. Our lives are completely different. The luxuries we live with in the U.S., clean running water, electricity, they didn’t have. But then God used a non-believer to remind me of this simple fact, God was our connection.
God connects us all.
God reminded me at breakfast with a friend. My friend isn’t a Christ follower. She knows I am. We were talking about the mission trip, I was sharing with her my concern of connecting. In the conversation, I told her about today’s verse. She said to me, “That’s what you have in common, God.” She was right. She saw the connection I couldn’t at that time. And she wasn’t a believer. God can use anyone, at any time.
One of my most memorable worship experiences was with the friends I met in El Salvador. We visited their home. Windowless, no electricity, a cistern of bug infected water and an outhouse for a bathroom, they had built a makeshift church on the side of their abode. We ate lunch in the “sanctuary.” A chicken was in the plastic chair behind me, the floor was dirt, the table was wobbly. The room was not large. At the front were a few musical instruments. After lunch, the family we were visiting went to the front and led us in worship. Their voices were off-key, no powerpoint, no pulpit. Just a few people, singing their hearts out to the same God I do. We worshiped together. The experience is one I will never forget.
God created us all. We have Him in common. Whether we believe in Him or not, He connects us to one another. We all have purpose. We all have a role to play. The question we should ask, “What is God’s purpose for my life?”
When we seek God daily, He reveals His purpose. The more we pursue Him, the more He uses us. When I first started following God as an adult, I didn’t do what I do now. First I started talking about Him with friends. Then I started studying the Bible. The more I practiced His word, the more I realized its truth. The deeper we go with God, the more we grow. He’s our common denominator.
Question of the Day:
How does God connect you with others in your life?
Further Reading: Job 20-22 NIV, 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 NIV, Psalm 40:11-17 NIV, Proverbs 22:2-4 NIV
