Grace For The Journey

  Several years ago, when I was feeling a bit discouraged about not being used by God as much as I thought I should be, one of my best friends would frequently paraphrase Matthew 25:21 and remind me  . . .

“My brother,

Be faithful

In the little things

And the Lord will

Grant you with much!”

Because we serve a BIG GOD, I expect BIG THINGS from all He is calling all of us to do at First Baptist Church.  To be sure, a big God does indeed accomplish big things through His people, but I need to be constantly reminded of three things:

It will always be done . . .

• In His time,
• In His way,
• And it may not look like anything I had pictured it would look like!

Let’s look at God’s Word, as God proclaimed these truths to the prophet Isaiah.  The Bible says in Isaiah 60:22, “The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation.  I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.”

I am a slow learner, but I am learning that God often begins His work on small scales. God’s plan is always better than our plan.  In the Master’s miraculous multiplication, the least – which I certainly am – will become a thousand.  The point is . . .

God can do much with little.

 In fact . . .

God can do much with nothing,

Which is the way He created

The earth and everything in it

Ex nihilo – out of nothing.

All of Scripture suggests we have been made for more.  God has wired us for increase. Problems arise, however, when we begin to seek this increase apart from the One who promised it . . . or in areas where we ought not to be seeking it.

The apostle Paul said, “I have learned in whatever state (circumstance, situation) I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

Paul had learned to be content,

But he was never satisfied.

He always wanted more of a relationship with Jesus.  He always wanted to make more of an impact for Jesus.

Paul understood his “more” was

To be anchored in his Master

. . . And then the result would

Be miraculous multiplication.

Notice that the Lord told Isaiah that He will do these miraculous multiplications swiftly . . . in its time.

God does not delay

In delivering good things

To His children.

He delivers exactly what we need,

In the perfect time we need it,

And

In the perfect way we need to receive it.

It’s just that God’s perfect timing may not align with our imperfect understanding of “the right time.”

So . . . how are you doing today in being faithful in the little things?  With your family?  In your business?  At school?  In your church ministry?  Remember the encouragement my dear friend gave me: “Be faithful in the little things . . .  and the Lord will grant you with much.”  This is the Master’s miraculous multiplication!

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”