Friday, August 14, 2026
The Kind of Person God Uses
“My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!” (Psalm 57:7 nlt)
He came from the humblest of beginnings and rose to become the greatest king in Israel’s history. In battle, he was fearless. As a ruler, he was without peer. God once referred to him as a man after His own heart. I’m speaking, of course, of David: shepherd, psalmist, musician, protector, warrior, giant-killer, and monarch.
David’s story is one of the most familiar in all of Scripture, and for good reason. David is someone most people can relate to. He was an underdog, someone who was overlooked by others. He was bullied and found himself in situations that were beyond his control. He tried to do what was right but wasn’t above making some really bad decisions.
Yet God used him to accomplish some incredible things. And as we look at David’s story, we can get some clues as to the type of people God uses.
First, God uses ordinary people. The Lord prefers to work in and through ordinary people to do extraordinary things. That way, the people who witness those extraordinary things won’t be confused about who accomplished them. God wants to make sure that people give credit to Him rather than to human beings.
The apostle Paul suffered from an affliction that he called “a thorn in my flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7 nlt). Three times he asked God to take it away. “Each time [God] said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now [Paul was] glad to boast about [his] weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [could] work through [him]” (verse 9 nlt). Paul’s affliction made him ordinary, which allowed the extraordinary work of God to be magnified through him.
Just as surely as God used Paul’s ordinary affliction and plucked David, an ordinary shepherd boy, from obscurity, He is looking for people today through whom He can show His strength.
Second, God uses spiritually focused people. David wrote, “My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!” (Psalm 57:7 nlt). His confidence came from keeping his eyes on God rather than on his circumstances, and he experienced the blessings that come from that kind of faith. God may not give you everything you hope for in life, or He may give you far more than you ever imagined. Either way, your responsibility is to trust Him, leave the results in His hands, and put Him first. That’s exactly what David did.
Third, God uses people who are content in Him. As a young boy, David’s primary responsibility was to ensure the safety of sheep. David figured that if watching sheep was what God wanted him to do, then he would do the best job he could. Did he dream of one day doing great things for God? We can’t know for sure, but we do know that David was content in whatever God called him to do.
Like David, we are all ordinary people. There’s no shame in that. As long as we’re willing to be faithful in what God has set before us and willing to be content in whatever God asks from us, God will use us.
And sometimes He’ll do it in extraordinary ways.
Reflection question: How can you make yourself available for God to use?
Copyright © 2026 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Ryan McVay
Greg Laurie is the pastor and founder of the Harvest churches in California and Hawaii and of Harvest Crusades. He is an evangelist, best-selling author, and movie producer. His latest film ‘Jesus Revolution,’ from Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company, is now available on-demand worldwide.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com and weekly podcast on LifeAudio.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
Some Christians think Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, and sharing their faith are things they eventually move beyond. The truth is just the opposite. In What Every Growing Christian Needs to Know, Pastor Greg Laurie explores the foundational practices that help believers grow spiritually and stay strong in their faith. Whether you're a new believer or have followed Christ for decades, this practical guide will help you focus on the things that matter most. Request your copy this month with your gift to Harvest Ministries.
Was this resource helpful? Add Christianity.com as a trusted source for Biblical content.
