As children, we all learned the story of the ugly duckling that was ridiculed because of the way he looked. He didn’t fit in.
However, at the end of the story, that ugly duckling became a beautiful swan.
God gave Moses directions to use goat hair for construction of the tabernacle, a place where His presence would be.
Goat hair.
Now to us, goat hair is not a beautiful thing, because we think of the animal it comes from. We picture dried goat skins covering the tabernacle.
To us, that would be the “ugly duckling”.
But in Exodus when God commanded Moses to use goat hair, He didn’t mention the skin, just the hair.
“You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair to be a tent over the tabernacle…” Exodus 26:7.
It had a greater purpose.
And goat hair must be fairly soft, because even today, it is used to make soft brushes.
There are definitely times that we all feel like the duckling in the story—a person who is ugly and not useful, one who doesn’t have much to give to God besides a broken, shattered life.
But that is not the case. God can use you!
He can use the brokenness and shame to help others. He can use anything in our lives to further His purpose.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a saying that comes to mind when studying these words of God.
We may feel like an ugly book, or an inept, ugly duckling, but God uses ugly ducklings so that He can be glorified!
Look to Him. Let Him be your inner beauty, which reflects itself in outer beauty.
You will no longer be the ugly duckling, but a beautiful, graceful child of the King whom He will use for His glory.
–by Pam Rehbein
I will no longer be the ugly duckling, but a beautiful, graceful child of the King whom He will use for His glory.
And this is my declaration. AMEN!
Amen to the message, it is full filling. Today I attended an interview for Senior HR Business Partner I do not think that my performance was good; and I am so depressed. Your message is God send; much appreciated.
God has one capacity we tend to downplay a lot: He is able to turn bad into good and also to transform our mistakes into miracles. See what a wreck of a life Rahab led yet God used that as a launching pad for her transformation! While things may seem hopeless and unchangeable sometimes in our lives, if you will turn everything over to God, He can turn it all around and create something good from it.
Deuteronomy 23:5 says, The LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing. The word turned in this verse is the same word we find in Exodus 7:14-15, where the Lord tells Moses to confront Pharaoh with the rod which was turned to a serpent.
You’ll remember that when Moses appeared before God at the burning bush, God told him to throw down his rod. When Moses obeyed, God turned the rod into a serpent. God totally changed the nature of that rod. When Moses was holding the rod, it didn’t look like it could possibly be anything other than a rod. But when Moses let go of it and let God have it, God was able to totally transform it.
Thabo Moaluis, when you let go of your problems and give them to God, HE CAN CHANGE THINGS. He can transform the impossible into the possible.
He can turn a curse into a blessing… your mistake into a miracle.
You say, “Okay, I believe God can change things for me, but why should He? Why would God do that?”
Deuteronomy 23:5 tells us why! The Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.
God loves you, my friend. He cares for you, and that’s why He will turn your situation around. That’s why He is willing to turn your mistake into the greatest miracle in your life—because He loves you. Yes, God loves you!
So no matter what you’re going through today, give it over to God. When you do, watch what He does to turn your situation around. Your brother, –
Love this, thank you so much!