God will re-purpose those who used to be His enemy

Re-purposed, not untooled...

Here's a disturbing reality of the ancient world: "They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. And Adoni-bezek said, 'Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.' And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there." (Judges 1:5-7 ESV)

When Judah and Simeon went out to war against the Canaannites, they faced and defeated the King of Bezek. Adoni-bezek was captured and disabled. The cutting off of the stones and the big toes means that they disabled him in his ability to be a warrior.

Instead of turning him into a slave, Adoni-bezek was simply put on display for his shame and for the victors' glory.

We who have rebels' hearts have raged and warred against God; even if we've done it politely, we've done it nonetheless.

When God wins us to Himself, He adopts us and makes us sons/daughters and servants. We become soldiers in God's army, warring for His purposes. We become farmers in God's field, sewing and laboring for His yield. We become ambassadors in God's government, pleading with others to be reconciled to Him. We become fishermen, joined with God in the pursuit of soul winning in the ocean of mankind.

We aren't made useless… We are finally made useful! We aren't disabled… We are re-purposed!

God does put us on display in His procession of glorious triumph, but it is to shame His enemies, and show His glory, not to put we happily conquered to shame. God puts the elect in His army, not just under His thumb.

Do you see it, beloved? God doesn't cripple us from war, but crowns us to fight the good fight! He does not cast us out, but brings us in! He makes us ready for the struggle of holiness and Kingdom building!

The Psalmist said, "For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?- the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze." (Psalm 18:31-34 ESV)