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Listen while you read: "The Old Rugged Cross"1 (Lyrics) |
In the small mountain community where I live during the summer, there are hundreds of children who don't have adequate food at home. In response, two faithful young women founded Backpack Snacks. On Friday, each of the identified children receives a backpack loaded with food that is easily prepared. On Monday, they return the empty backpack; it's refilled for the next weekend.
Three of the chapels in the summer resort ministry that I coordinate donate food and money to Backpack Snacks. I collect and deliver these donations to one of the ladies. One delivery occurred in the middle of a hard downpour. I arrived about ten minutes after it started. As I sat there waiting, I asked God for a small window of no rain while we were transferring the items from one car to another. Not really believing that it would happen, I waited. Just before she drove up beside my car, the rain lessened to just a few drops here and there. As soon as I jumped back in my car, the downpour began again.
Does God care about small things like that? It wouldn't have hurt us to get wet, but then, the food goods would have been soaked as well.
Luke 12:6-7 – Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (NIV)
Jesus' life demonstrated God's care for small things that others didn't think were important. He recognized children when the disciples didn't regard them as important enough for Jesus' attention, and He took them in His arms and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16) He healed the woman with an issue of blood who touched His garment, a person who would be regarded as unclean, as He was on His way to heal the daughter of the important ruler of the synagogue. (Luke 8:40-48) As He was being arrested and on His way to the cross, He took the time to restore the ear of the high priest's servant that Peter had sliced off. (Luke 22:49-51)
Paul tells us, "Never stop praying." (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT) Why would he encourage us to do that if God doesn't care about all our needs, big or small? Our God is big enough and loves us enough to meet even our smallest needs.
Ephesians 3:18,20 – And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (NLT)
This is our challenge: to understand the depth and riches of God's love for us and to trust Him to meet our needs, large or small.
Prayer: Father, You show us Your love in so many ways. Give us the faith to trust You for our needs. Help us to fully understand Your power and glory at work in our lives. Amen.
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Sunday, March 16, 2025 – In Ethiopia — Please pray for peace and unity in the nation of Ethiopia. Tensions remain high in several regions as well as with some of our neighbouring countries. Pray for wisdom for those in leadership that God's peace would prevail. Pray for the people of Gofa, that God will bring hope and healing in the face of incredible loss after last year's mudslides which took the lives of many.
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Thank you for the reminder of how we must trust God in everything.
Keep writing.
Good morning, Sharon.
Another good devotion. Thank you for sharing and using your God given talent of speaking what God has laid on your hope.
Sharon, I really enjoyed reading your devotional about the little things. It’s a great reminder of how the little things in life can make a big difference in the lives of others in small ways. Hope you’re doing well.
A heart-warming devotional. It’s so true, isn’t it: Through experiencing his faithfulness in the small matters of life, we learn to trust him in the bigger matters. It’s all part of His personalized training program.
Amen Sharon. I often think that the true miracle of God’s love for us, is indeed in the “small” things! The everyday things where we see Him peeping out here, there and every where, to say: l’m here, l love you, l will never leave you.
Dear Sharon,
Thanks so much for sharing about your backpack snack program.
I also have prayed for the rain to pause, and the LORD answered. Then it came on heavier than before.
PRAISE THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD.
Thanks Sharon:
I’ve come to believe that Jesus came to Earth to tell us that God is a super prayer answering Creator, whose name we share and live to honour – I AM.
(Ontario Canada)
Dear Sharon,
Thank you for this encouraging devotional. It’s so true that our challenge and call is to “trust and obey”. Nothing is too great, or too small, for our God to accomplish at His will.
Blessings on your day.
(BC)
Dear Sharon,
What a wonderful devotional this morning!! What an amazing God we serve!!!
Thank you so very much! I needed that reminder today.
Keep writing and sharing!
May God’s very best be yours today and always!
Thank you, Sharon, for another of your excellent devotional contributions. Yes, we just never know how quickly we get an answer to our prayers. The Lord certainly is always listening to us and can totally surprise us when we get exactly what we ask for. It is also important that we have patience too if we don’t get exactly what we want immediately as the Lord sure figures out what is the best result for what we want. Blessings for your very meaningful writings and enjoy a beautiful day.
Good morning, Sharon,
It is wonderful to hear how others are so kind and generous when they see a need. It is sad to know that there are hundreds of children who don’t have adequate food.
I really enjoyed your examples from the Bible of how Jesus cared about the “small things” and how you realize all the small things that God does for us each day in our lives. When others share their stories, it helps all of us to recognize when God helps us or puts someone in our lives at just the right time or gives us that smile, we need at that moment from a stranger. Thanks for sharing and talking about our challenge which is a real one. If we turn around and look at something in a positive light, our world becomes brighter, and we can help to brighten someone else’s. Blessings.
Awaiting God’s love for all people to bring peace and reconciliation in the Middle East.