There he came to a cave and lodged in it;                                                  and behold, the word of the Lord came to him,                                         and He said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah?                                                                                         1 Kings 19:9 AMP

Have you ever known deep in your soul that you had something to say, something that you must share? However, when you look around, you see people with more experience, more knowledge, more qualifications, and you begin to question and doubt that maybe this is just all in your head.

For so long I have hidden from being on the front line. I knew God was raising me up with a voice to speak, but I always figured I could just speak from the sideline, perhaps to just a few people I am close to, and that would be enough.

I am not at eloquent speaker and I get nervous when I stand before a crowd. Public speaking is not my forte. Maybe that’s why God has given me a flair for words and writing, and an artistic eye to create things. He has been preparing me for a time such as now, to take the abilities He has given and use them beyond my comfort zone.

A few weeks ago, I felt a nudge in my spirit to make a new Facebook page that would encourage people in their day-to-day lives as they scroll through their newsfeed. Maybe a scripture or quote would be just what they needed at that moment. I thought this page would reach maybe just my friends, but God has expanded the territory and it has already gone far above and beyond what I expected.

But then I think, why me? And I hear God speak, “Why not you? I know who I made you to be, I know what you have been through in your life. You think that you have nothing to say, but you are not speaking of yourself. You are speaking for Me. People want to see Me and know Me, but sometimes it’s hard to see past all noise. Tell them about Me. Let them see Me in you.”

I am not writing this to say “Look at me!” I am writing this to encourage you that God feels the same way about you. You have an important part in His story.

You feel like you’ve messed up beyond repair and He says “I can fix that. I can make you new!” There are people out there who think the very same thing and they just want to hear that someone else was as broken as they, and God reached down in all His love and healed a broken life. They want to know that all is not lost, that there is Hope. And believe it or not, when you share your story, God can use it to encourage and bring hope to someone who has lost all hope.

And yes, there will be naysayers. There will be people who will try to discourage you and tell you to sit down and be quiet. There will be people who try to make you feel like they can do it better. There will be some who rise up against you, just because they are jealous that God would use you. You will feel like finding a cave and hiding in it.  You wouldn’t be the first!

At first the cave might seem like a good idea. It’s dark there, no one can see your flaws. You feel safe. No one can hurt you there. If you hide, you are defeating the very purpose God has for you. The enemy wants nothing better than to keep you hidden away, to keep your voice silent, and to make you afraid of failure. But I want to encourage you, don’t hide. The cave is not a comfort place, it will make you miserable and cold. Do not hide from what God is calling you to do. Even if you feel under-qualified, it’s not about you, it’s about you being willing to let Him use you. He will teach you and qualify you. He will use your willingness to lay aside yourself to confuse those who are “wise” around you. There are people who my story will never reach, but yours will. The pages of my story don’t look like yours.

The Bible is full of stories of people who seemed to be unlikely candidates. You may not think you look the part or you have what it takes, and to be honest, you may not. But those unlikely candidates knew God was asking for their willingness to lay aside who they thought they were, and stand as who God said they were, and God was able to show Himself mighty through them. People thought they wouldn’t amount to anything, but many of them, God took from being a nobody and placing them in palaces.

Don’t ever think that God can’t use you. Just be willing to say yes when He asks.  Use whatever talent God has given to you. If you sing, declare His love from the rooftops. If you dance, dance before Him with all your heart, even if you look clamorously foolish. Whatever it is, do not be ashamed and hide, declare what God has done in you.  Come out of the cave, and boldly share your story!

Isaiah 43:1-3 AMP
[1] BUT NOW in spite of past judgments for Israel’s sins, thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. [2] When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you. [3] For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;