Start Where You Are…

For who has despised the day of small things. (Zechariah 4:10)

Everything big starts with something small;

all God needs is something to start with!

Have you ever noticed what the disciples said to Jesus just before He fed the 5,000? Listen: "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves, and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" (John 6:9).

Is that how you feel today? The challenge is too big and you're too small. Notice, the miracle of provision only began when they took what they had and put it into the Master's hands. As long as you try to claim or control it, it will always be limited. But the moment you make what you have available to God, it'll begin to multiply. Imagine, just a boy's lunch - all God needs is something to start with. The prophet Zechariah wrote, "Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin" (Zech 4:10).

Don't be afraid to take small steps. Just make them steps of faith and God will work with you.

Jesus said, "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). Build it with what? Twelve flawed people just like you! But when He poured Himself into them… He was so concentrated in them that if just two of them got together they could turn any town upside down. "But I have so many weaknesses," you say. We all come to the Lord damaged and in need of repair. The good news is, you can be strong in certain areas and struggling in others, yet God will still use you!!! Instead of focusing on our capability, concentrate on our availability, for we know that it is GOD who works through us and we can’t do anything without Him.

Rejoice in God’s message of Love for You:

“God is able to do infinitely much more than we can ever ask or imagine through His power at work in us.” – Ephesians 3:20

(by Irma Raymond)

Are you feeling inadequate?

Our sufficiency is from God. (2 Corinthians 3:5)

God will never give you an assignment that does not require His involvement. He calls us: '... Not according to our works /ability, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus... ' (2 Timothy 1:9 ).

When God gives you a job to do, He gives you the grace to do it.

But don't expect it to be easy. God called Moses to instruct Pharaoh to let His work force leave, to go worship a God Pharaoh didn't even believe in. He told Jonah to go to Nineveh, the most corrupt city in the world, and say to its population, 'Repent or die!' When He called Jeremiah to preach to a hard-edged, self-centered people who refused to listen, he cried so hard that he became known as 'the weeping prophet.'

So if you're feeling inadequate today, without God-you are! The heroes in the Bible didn't jump up and say, 'No problem, I can handle that!'

But here's the good news: God doesn't call us to work for Him but with Him, and that guarantees your success.

You say, 'But I don't have the ability.' No problem: 'Not that we are sufficient of ourselves... our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient.'

You say, 'But I don't have the finances.' No problem: '... God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work' (2 Corinthians 9:8).

You say, 'But I don't have the strength.' No problem:

'I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength' (Philippians 4:13).

(by Irma Raymond)

Answer to a prayer

My friend's mom was found yesterday. She is perfectly alright now. Thank you all for praying. Please do remember the other family in your prayers.

Prayer request

Dear friends,

This isn't a regular blog post. Some of my friends are in desperate need of your prayers.

The first person is my friend's mom, her name is Anne. She has been missing since this morning. Her family is in great distress because of this. We have no idea why she left, or where she is. My friend and her family is searching for that aunty. She was a faithful woman, devoted to God. May God protect his child and comfort my friend's family.

The other person is Vimala. She got converted to Christianity recently. The doctors operated on her sometime back and removed the cancer from her breast. Now she developed lung cancer and the doctor said there is only 25% chances for survival. They are from a very poor family. She has two sons. She has been in the ICU for quite sometime. Her son has been on his knees from yesterday morning till now.

Please storm heavens with these prayer requests.

Still

A beautiful song with meaningful lyrics, by Hillsong...

Lyrics

Hide me now

Under your wings

Cover me

Within your mighty hands

When the ocean rise and thunders roar

I will soar with you above the storm

Father you are King over the flood

I will be still and know you are God

Find rest my soul

In Christ alone

Know His power

In quietness and trust

I am but an instrument in Your hands...

Sorry for having neglected my blog for the past six months. I went for a retreat yesterday and God put me on the right track again.

When I was praying today, I reflected upon how God uses humans to work for Him. I found a stark difference between how I operated and how God does.

If I were given a task which is very easy for me to do, something I can finish in no time, would I entrust it in the hands of another person? Even if I want to allocate that task to someone else, wouldn't I give it to someone who is very able and has the skills and attitude to it? That is human nature.

But God works differently. The Bible says that 'nothing' is too hard for Him. If God said a word, the entire humanity would bow down before and worship Him. Then, why does He choose humans to spread the Gospel? He knows that we are so frail and prone to go astray. God loves to surprise us by choosing the most unimaginable people and circumstances to work.

This very important task of spreading the Gospel, is entrusted to us. He chooses what the world looks down upon. God says in the Bible, "My ways are not your ways, and My thoughts are not your thoughts". How true!

So why do I tell this? Such a supreme God has chosen us - mere humans to do His work. He could have chosen some talented or influential people to do His work. But He chose us. Isn't this a great privilege?

My prayer today is that God will do in me what pleases Him. I am but an instrument in His hands...