Heroes with feet of clay

SUMMARY: God takes pleasure in using imperfect people, as shown by the flawed biblical characters he used to do great things. We should strive for spiritual excellence, but we don't have to be perfect for God to move mightily in our lives. God loves to use ordinary people with faith to break down barriers and display his power and mercy. Remember that God's blessing is for everyone who believes, not just for the perfect.

God takes pleasure in moving through imperfect people. The great men and women of faith recorded in Scripture were not exempt from the flaws and sinful inclinations that plague every other human being. The apostle James speaks of the great prophet Elijah, for example, and tells us that "he was a man subject to passions similar to ours". However, he adds, "He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months" (James 5:17).

Almost all the kings recorded in Scripture made grave mistakes. There were certain spiritual weaknesses in them that at times opened them to temptation, and which almost led to their ruin and even the loss of their life. Even like King Jehoshaphat, they made decisions in his reign that brought curse and tragedy to his lineage, and that brought corruption and judgment on the nation of Israel.