It’s amazing how much can be said about someone in just a few words. I discovered this to be true about a man named Matthias, the replacement for Judas.

Scripture contains very few words about him. As a matter of fact, the only place he is listed is in Acts 1 where we have the account of the disciples/apostles “electing” a replacement for Judas, the betrayer.

We know nothing of his origins and nothing definite about his death. But what we do know is impacting.

We know that he had been present with Jesus since the time of John’s baptism by water. He had stayed faithful during those three years with Christ and the other disciples. He labored in apparent anonymity for three years. He wasn’t included in the inner circles with Peter, James and John. He wasn’t singled out for any particular tasks that the writers of the Gospels recorded for us. But he was faithfully present, doing what was put before him.

Then came that day in Acts 1. He was selected by the casting of lots. Luck? I don’t think so. Proverbs 16:33 tells us that even though casting of lots is used, it is still God who controls the casting of the lots. So we have to rule out luck. It was God. It was Matthias being faithful in all the things over the previous three years.

I read a great passage this morning from the Living Bible that sums up what happened to Matthias. “If you stay away from sin, you will be like one of those dishes made of purest gold—the very best in the house—so that Christ Himself can use you for His highest purposes.” (2 Timothy 2:20-21)

Matthias was gold in a refining process for three years. Each of us is in a refining process so that we too can come out as pure gold for His purposes.

Always In Pursuit!