Have you heard of or personally know anyone who straight out of college was hired into the very top position of a successful business? For example, someone who finishes their Bachelor degree in Business and gets offered a job as CEO of a fortune 500 company. It is highly unlikely to happen, right? Of course there could be exceptions, but the majority of us have to work our way up in whatever profession we choose to pursue. It is much easier to think of personal examples of people who have started at the bottom and then through hard work and determination have become very successful. This happens all the time; a famous chef who started off washing dishes in restaurants or a successful contractor who started off hauling the heavy lumber around for the skilled crew on a job site.
So why is it this way?
Because without experience and knowledge, we are not able to get a job done.
Would you put your child on a bicycle for the first time and just give it a push. Of course not! First, kids start off with tricycles and training wheels before they move on to the big kid bikes.
This is how it works with God too. He gives us small tasks to perform faithfully and as we grow in our faith and gain experience in doing God’s work, more tasks and maybe greater tasks will present themselves before us.
In Zechariah 4:10 it is written, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”
The Lord is rejoicing over the small acts of faith in our lives! Just imagine the joy that you can bring him by faithfully and joyfully carrying out the tasks He has set aside specifically for you. We each have things that only we can do for the Kingdom of Heaven; people that can only be reached through our acts of obedience to God’s calling.
We have to remember to “not despise these small beginnings.” I know how easy it is to imagine huge feats and amazing things being done. And God could well have in mind that we will perform huge feats and amazing things for Him, but we must take joy in the small things. Imagine the joy in God’s heart that you bring him as you carry out your small tasks. For me, the thought of making God rejoice because of my actions, thoughts, and faith is beyond words!
What about you, have you thought of the joy that you bring the Lord today?
I always am amazed when I pray for God to speak to me or to give me insight into a situation, and then I open the bible and the first thing I read is as if it was written for exactly this moment. I guess that is why they call it the “living word.” It is not an old stagnant text. It is alive and as relevant today as it was a long time ago. God uses His word to speak to us. I know that the idea of a “living word” can be hard for some people to accept. I used to be one of those people. But, I have experienced this “living word” now and I can’t imagine going back. I love turning to God for counsel and experiencing his presence. It really feels like he is in the room with me, talking to me. Amazing!
Yesterday, I had one of those experiences. I was praying for God to speak to me and to take over a situation. Then I opened the bible and it was 2 Peter 1:3. It’s funny that I have read the whole new testament, but sometimes I come upon a scripture that I don’t recall ever reading. This scripture was new again for me. Here is the scripture:
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:3-11
This morning’s scripture is one that makes you evaluate what you have been doing, or more accurately, saying lately. How are you doing with this?
Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”
Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”
Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”
Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”
“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.” Matthew 15:10-20
I felt convicted by this. My prayer for today is that from my mouth will come words of faith, words of love, words of blessing. I pray that the words that come out of my mouth reflect a heart that loves the Lord. I pray the same for all of you. Let us be a reflection of our love for Jesus Christ.
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8
Yesterday I felt super exhausted in the afternoon. I was sitting in class and literally pinched my cheeks a couple of times to try to keep myself from totally zoning out. As I was driving home later, I remembered two scriptures that I had read yesterday:
From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety. Psalm 61:2
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
I realized that I just needed to pray and ask Jesus for rest. To tell him that I was placing my life in his hands and letting go of control. It was amazing, I felt so much lighter and relieved immediately.
When it was time for bed, I once again included the request for rest in my prayers. I set my alarm and then went to sleep.
This morning I woke to my phone ringing. I saw that it was my car pool and immediately answered, “My alarm didn’t go off. I’m sorry.” I said this because it was 7:45, the time when we leave! But, I didn’t feel upset about it. I just said I would be ready in 20 minutes and got up feeling really well rested! As I got ready I was thinking about my prayer and my request for rest. The great thing is that I got the rest I needed and was only 15 minutes late to work (which is not a big deal at all where I work)!
Thank God to answered prayers 🙂
Here is a great song that I was listening to on the drive in to work:
Wow! I was so sick for the past week and I am still recovering from a nasty virus. The 5 days I spent in bed gave me some time to really think about the blessings of God. What a blessing it is to be healthy. When we are sick it is hard to do the simplest of tasks. Even getting yourself food can be a daunting task. It is easy to take our health for granted when we are well. So I just want to thank God for giving me the last week to reflect. I thank God for all of the days that he has given me and for the comfort that he provides me. I thank Him for loving me and for showing mercy. I thank Him for sending his Son for us. I thank Him for his promises of the future and the hope that it brings. As Mary said in Luke 1:
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.” Luke 1:46-55
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