When The Door Slams
Do not despise this small beginning, for the Lord rejoice to see the work begin. Zechariah 4:10a
The world loves the spectacular. God has proven that He is certainly capable of the extraordinary, but He often Chooses to work through the ordinary and seemingly insignificant. In this way God demonstrates His love and His power.
Throughout history, God's answer to a critical time was to send a baby. Isaac, Moses, Samuel, John the Baptist, and Jesus were all born as answers to a time of need. When God delivered the Israelites from the Midianites' oppression, God intentionally used an army of merely three hundred men to defeat a vastly larger army. God had more soldiers available, but He preferred to demonstrate His power in this way to accomplished His purposes.
When Jesus selected His first disciples He could have enlisted a multitude to follow Him, but He choose twelve. It was not the number of disciples but the quality of their walk with Him that would determine how they affected their world. When Jesus fed a multitude, with five loaves of bread and two fish from a boy's lunch were sufficient in the hands of the Lord.
Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed (Matt. 13:31-32). The mustard seed was the smallest seed known to the Jews, yet it grew into an enormous tree. Jesus also likened God's kingdom to yeast that is hardly noticeable but raise the entire batch of dough (Matt. 13:33). When children came to Jesus, His disciples assumed they were an annoyance and chased them away (Matt. 19:13-15). But Jesus said that in order to enter His kingdom, people must app0roach God as a child.
Think about this: Christians often accept the motto "the bigger the better." We measure success by the number of people involved in our ministry. We seek spectacular displays of God's power. We must learn to view success as God does. God is interested in the heart; God is pleased with obedience.
Renewal: May I flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22). May I avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they product quarrels. The Lord's servant much not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, and patient (2 Timothy 2:23-24).
This is the will of God, my sanctification, that I abstain from immorality and learn to possess my own vessel in sanctification and honor. For God did not call me to be impure, but to live a holy life (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4,7).
Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Never Rest Ministries
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