Spirit & Trust

We have big dreams, but sometimes we think we are only doing little things. We may even question if what we do matters.

We think greatness is big, but God also sees greatness as small. What we do for Him may seem insignificant, but He rejoices in what is right. The size of the job is far less important than the size of the love we display in our actions.

God is interested in our dreams. He wants to change us as we pursue them, bringing us closer to Him. When our big plans take a long time, we may encounter dead ends or face disappointment—making us want to give up or question our calling and even our worth, but God is not in a hurry. He is weaving a beautiful tapestry in the process.

For me, writing has been my dream and has brought me closer to God. I expected to have a book by now, but God had bigger plans—although, to me, they felt smaller. My book may not have been published, but it rewrote me, taking God’s power to places in my past that needed healing. It reconciled meaningful relationships and allowed me to let go of lies I had believed. It has also helped others navigate their paths. My blogs have been passed along to family members and their friends all over the country, reunited me with people from the past, and created friends out of strangers.

God puts desires in our hearts and people in our paths and leads us to unexpected places. He has extraordinary callings for us. Our part is to trust, obey, and leave the results to Him.

I’m learning to cherish the small things because I know big things reside in them, and their results can last into eternity. Trust God’s perfect process, and don’t give up.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Dimhou.)

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In the winter of 2019, my husband and I took off with our best friends on a new adventure for dog sledding in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

When we arrived at the sledding tour facility, we couldn’t determine which was louder—the beating of our eager hearts or the howls of the numerous teams of husky dogs. After going through a brief training and befriending the dogs with our hugs and ear scratching, the four of us took off with our tour guide. With bated breath, our team of eight powerful yet gentle huskies took off on command, gliding us over trails and through peaceful glades of aspens and pines.

These beautiful Siberian huskies knew their commands. When they heard “hike it up,” they willingly ran. When they heard “whoa,” they obediently stopped. All eight dogs held each other accountable. They listened, obeyed, and wanted to please their master. Obviously, our team of dogs relished their relationship with the tour guide and each other.

Obedience is a central theme throughout God’s word. We are called to believe and follow Jesus. Much like the musher gave our husky dogs commands, God gives His children commands and desires obedient hearts—not because He’s on a power trip but because He wants what’s best for us.

As Christians, we should listen to and follow the Lord’s commands: pray without ceasing, forgive, love our neighbors as ourselves, treat others as we want to be treated, and spread the gospel.

When we comprehend what Jesus did for us on the cross, we want to do our best to please our Master. Together, we can be on Christ’s team and hold one another accountable.

In what ways are you obeying God’s commands as your personal act of worship?

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and cocoparisienne.)

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Growing up in a Christian household, my parents taught me it mattered whom you serve. And they taught me to love and serve God.

As a child and teenager, I faithfully attended church, tithed from money earned from babysitting and weekly chores, prayed before meals and bedtime, and diligently read the Bible. Following my parents’ example, I followed and served God with all my heart.

In my early twenties, however, as I withdrew from my self-created Christian bubble and exposed myself to differing worldviews, I became confused about my beliefs and turned from the Christian walk. Instead of serving Christ, I served myself, filling my life with ungodly pursuits. My health, peace, and well-being suffered as a result. Life felt hollow, and whatever joy I experienced lasted only momentarily.

Several years later, I came to the hard-learned conclusion that life without Christ was a meaningless endeavor. I would never find authentic hope, truth, and purpose in the world or myself. Only through a life submitted to Christ would I be fulfilled. Repenting of the way I had lived, I rededicated my life to Christ. That day, I chose to serve, love, and follow Jesus—not because it mirrored what my parents believed, but because I knew life with Christ was the most fulfilling and meaningful life I could live and would lead to peace, joy, and eternal hope that I could not find in anyone or anything else.

We must choose whom or what we will serve—a decision affecting our thoughts, behavior, and life. Today and every day to come, choose Jesus.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Tumisu.)

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One of the earliest children’s books I read to my child was All by Myself.

With pictures, the book taught children how to tie their shoes, dress themselves, and brush their teeth and hair—along with other skills—as their little hands developed. My daughter determined to do everything by herself with no help, no matter how she was put together before nursery school. Later, I had second thoughts about having read that book to her. She didn’t need any encouragement in that area. She already had a natural inclination to do things independently.

As my daughter grew older, Girl Scouts didn’t improve matters; they only encouraged her more. For one of her badges, she had to make an upside-down pineapple cake without assistance from anyone. I thought she was a little too young for the project. It was all I could do not to grab the hot cake pan from her as she removed it from the oven. I hovered around her like a mother hen.

Bookstores and libraries are filled with do-it-yourself books for all kinds of projects, self-development, and entrepreneurship—among other things. I grew up with such a mindset as well.

As an adult, I realized I couldn’t do everything by myself. The older I got, the more help I needed. But the only book I really need is the Bible. I learned to lean on God more and more. At times, I cried out to Him for help. As the hymn says, I need Him every hour.

We don’t have to do things alone. We may not want to admit it because we fear showing our weakness to others, but we need the Lord for wisdom to make the right decisions, strength to tackle the many challenges we face, protection from a world gone wild, and provision for our needs and those of our loved ones—not to mention crises and emergencies.

Our help comes from the Lord, creator of heaven and earth. If He can stand guard over all creation, He can stand guard over us, ready to help at any time.

Remember, you are never alone. God is always by your side.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and 12019.)

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The aging helicopter plunged forward into the forbidden territory of the Bodi, the last and most feared people group unreached in the Omo River valley of southwestern Ethiopia.

The pilot sensed the critical necessity of choosing the right touchdown site since chopper blades generate enough wind to terrify the populous and destroy huts. Bodi men murdered one of the two men in the last attempt to reach them with the gospel. This time, a mechanical roaring monster descended from the sky in a choking cloud of dust.

As the dust settled, the three sky travelers tensed, expecting naked men to appear with strapped-on Kalashnikov rifles. But something differed this time. The village’s men came closer, and a great crowd of women and children followed. They halted as a white language speaker emerged from the dissipating dust cloud—empty hands held high as a sign of peace, offering traditional tribal greetings. He added good news about the great Creator who understood their sufferings. He had sent medicine and blessings. No weapons were in sight as the other two from the helicopter followed the linguist toward the crowd. The visitors had gifts and razor blades, which the Bodi greatly prized as grooming aides.

An older man led the approaching crowd toward the landing site as the three white men waited. The linguist repeated greetings as the other two prayed silently, believing at last that the time had come for the Bodi to receive the light of the gospel.

Suddenly, the crowd leader broke the silence, “Yes, yes, we know about the Creator God, but who is Kristosi?”

“Who told you about Kristosi?” asked the startled linguist.

The old leader continued, “Five nights ago, I was asleep in my hut when a bright light woke me up. A voice said, ‘I am Kristosi. In five days, men will come from the sky and tell you what I’ve done for the Bodi.’ The light was too brilliant for me to see his face, but I could understand the words. So, we’ve been waiting for you. Tell us, please, who is Kristosi.”

Jesus promised to be with those who risk everything to proclaim the gospel, just as in days of old. Will you be faithful to proclaim Kristosi wherever you are?  

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and JacksonDavid.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)