TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2025

God’s Radical Search for the Unlikely and the Unprepared

MESSAGE: WANTED! UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE

In a world that values resumes, accolades, and a perfect track record, God operates on a completely different set of principles. The corporate world seeks the most qualified candidates, but the Kingdom of God often seeks the least likely. This radical and counter-intuitive truth is one of the most reassuring themes in the Bible. God has a history of bypassing the impressive and choosing the improbable. He is not looking for the perfect person, but for a person who is willing.

The Bible is a gallery of “unqualified” people whom God chose to do His greatest works. This message explores why God deliberately chooses those who are insignificant, imperfect, and inadequate, and how this divine pattern reveals His nature and our role in His plan. The foundational text, 1 Samuel 16:1-13, provides a powerful illustration of this truth, as God chooses David, a seemingly unimportant shepherd, to be the king of Israel.

1. The Divine Paradox: From the Insignificant to the Anointed

Basic Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (NKJV)

The story of David’s anointing is a perfect example of God’s preference for the “unqualified.” When God instructed the prophet Samuel to go to the house of Jesse to anoint a new king for Israel, Samuel naturally assumed that the eldest and most impressive son would be the chosen one. He saw Eliab, a man of great physical stature and regal appearance, and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” (v. 6).

But God corrected him with a profound truth: “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (v. 7).

One by one, all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented, and one by one, God rejected them. The prophet had to ask if there were any others. That’s when Jesse remembered the youngest, David, who was out in the fields, a shepherd boy with no military training or kingly qualities. Yet, when David arrived, God said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” (v. 12).

Biblical Summary: God’s choice of David over his more outwardly qualified brothers demonstrates a core principle of His Kingdom: He chooses based on the heart, not on human standards of qualification. The very quality that seemed to disqualify David—his insignificance—was the very thing that made him the perfect vessel for God’s power.

This pattern is not an isolated incident. It is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, highlighting God’s desire for instruments who will depend solely on Him.

2. Mercy at Work: A Lineage of the Unqualified

The principle of choosing the unqualified extends beyond a single individual to the very lineage of Christ. The Bible’s genealogy of Jesus, found in Matthew 1:1-17, is not a list of perfect people. In fact, it includes some of the most scandalous figures in Israelite history.

Rahab the prostitute (Matthew 1:5): A woman who lived in Jericho, a Gentile, and a harlot, she was an outcast from a city devoted to false gods. Yet, she became a part of the lineage of Jesus.
Ruth the Moabite (Matthew 1:5): A woman from an enemy nation, who had no right to be in Israel’s lineage, yet her faithfulness made her a key figure in the ancestry of David and, ultimately, Christ.
Solomon, the son of an adulteress (Matthew 1:6): As the article points out, Solomon was the son of Bathsheba, the woman with whom David committed adultery. The Bible could have chosen to focus on David’s other, more “legitimate” sons, but it highlights this particular lineage.

This inclusion of “unqualified” people in the Messianic line is a testament to the powerful work of grace and mercy. It shows that God can use anyone, regardless of their past.

3. The Perils of Self-Confidence and Pride

The opposite of embracing our “unqualified” status is relying on our own strength, intellect, or ability. The Bible warns us against this.

Moses (Exodus 4:10): When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses gave every excuse in the book. “I am not eloquent…I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Moses did not feel qualified. God, in His grace, used this self-awareness to make Moses a powerful instrument. If Moses had said, “I’m a great speaker, use me,” God might have rejected him.

Gideon (Judges 6:15): When an angel called Gideon a “mighty man of valor,” Gideon responded, “My family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” He saw only his limitations and his family’s insignificance. But God chose him precisely because he had no personal confidence to lean on.

The problem arises when we, like the Pharisees, think we are too qualified or too “holy.” Jesus’s words to the Pharisees are a direct challenge to this kind of thinking: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13). He came for people who are willing to admit their need for Him.

4. The Call to the Unqualified: Here Am I, Use Me!

The core message is an invitation to every believer who feels inadequate. You may feel your past is unforgivable, that you lack the talent or charisma for God’s work, or that others are better suited for the task. But this is exactly who God is looking for. He is looking for men and women who will depend solely on Him, not on their own abilities.

When you say, “I know I have a very terrible past, I know I do not possess the oratory or the physical abilities for His work, but I know Christ has paid the price for me! Let His grace see me through,” you are praying the most powerful prayer in the Kingdom. You are saying, “I have no confidence in myself, but my confidence is in Your finished work on the cross.” This is the kind of faith that moves mountains and transforms lives.

Conclusion

I n a world that values qualifications, God’s system is radically different. He seeks the “unqualified” to perform His greatest tasks so that no one can boast in their own strength, but only in Him. He chose David the shepherd boy, Solomon the son of Bathsheba, and countless others who felt inadequate. His grace is sufficient for you, and your past is not a disqualifier; it is a testament to His mercy. Stop condemning yourself, and instead, trust God to use you. Arise and tell Him again: “Here am I; use me.”

PRAYER POINTS

Lord, I repent from declining to work for You in the past due to my feeling unqualified. I pray that you will forgive me and grant me the grace to work for You.
I refuse to be buried by self-confidence and pride in Jesus’ name. Here am I, Lord, use me!
Lord, grant me the grace to always depend on Your power and not my own strength.
Thank you, Lord, for seeing beyond my faults and choosing to use me for Your glory.

WANTED UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE