Get Truth Get Life

Like a flicker of light in the dark,

Our little kindness acts can light a dark track.

With Jesus’ love, we should play our part,

And the Holy Spirit’s power will ignite our hearts.

Though small and seemingly insignificant,

We hold power to change significance,

With God, our efforts will be made stupendous,

For God’s love is always tremendous.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,

And the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

The commandments of God are meant to give us freedom,

Obeying them will provide our little lives with endless length.

A mustard seed, so tiny and petite,

But with the potential to grow so grand.

With God’s help, our efforts can be complete,

And touch the world with a loving hand.

In God’s grand plan, we find our place,

With His grand love in His arms, we are embraced

Our small deeds embedded with God’s grace,

Can transform the world and make us a Holy race

This article is a sequel to the article titled When more is less. In the article When more is less, we studied that much is not much when God is not in it. We saw that you could have a lot of resources and skills, but when God is not at the center of it, you won’t achieve much with all you possess.

1 Corinthians 3:6 (KJV) – “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” Planting and watering were the work of Paul and Apollos, respectively, but it was God’s work to give the increase. No matter how many seeds they planted and how much water they used to water the plants, if God withheld them from growing, they wouldn’t have grown because He is the giver of all life.

God wants you to put maximum effort into everything that you do (Ecclesiastes 9:10) so that you can appreciate the abilities He has given you. He wants you to use your strength to glorify Him, not yourself. That is the entire purpose of maximum effort.

Psalm 127:1-2 (KJV) – “¹ Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. ² It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep.”

Building a house requires a lot of effort and sometimes a lot of resources. However, if God is not in the midst of it, the hard work and the input of the required resources will be in vain. The tower of Babel is an excellent example. Another example is the man who built his house on sand (Matthew 7:24-26).

The man who built his house on sand and the one who built his house on a rock had one thing in common: they both built a house. The one who built his house on sand might have made a bigger structure than the one who built it on a rock. He might have been more concerned with the outward display than laying a strong foundation. His house was swept away when the storms came, while the other one’s house remained steadfast. Both of them put effort into building a house, but one man’s actions were in vain while the other one’s effort was not in vain.

The Bible also says that the watchman watches over the city in vain if the Lord does not secure it. No amount of human security can prevent the Devil from breaking in. The Devil is more powerful than all human beings combined. He will do that if he decides to break into the most secured bank, area 51, or even the white house. He is advanced in science and technology more than we are. The power of God alone can keep a place completely secure.

Psalm 91:9-10 (KJV) – “⁹ Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; ¹⁰ There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.”

Romans 8:31 (KJV) – “If God be for us, who can be against us?” And the answer is no one, not even Satan.

Job 1:8-10 (KJV) – “⁸ And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? ⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? ¹⁰ Hast, not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.” The Devil himself acknowledges that God is the ultimate protection, and He is the one who blesses the work of people’s hands, profiting from their efforts.

Having established that, let us look at a few examples in the Bible that prove that little is much when God is in it.

Elisha

2 Kings 6:15-18 (KJV) – “¹⁵ And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! How shall we do? ¹⁶ And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. ¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. ¹⁸ And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.”

Elisha and his servant were only two in number with no weapons of war. A large army with horses and chariots surrounded their city. Elisha’s servant was frightened because they were so little and insignificant compared to those coming against them. Elisha told him not to fear because the ones with them were more than the ones who were against them.

Hearing these words, Elisha’s servant might have thought that Elisha was insane because, with his physical eyes, he saw that the people against them were more than the ones with them. Elisha being closer to God, could see what his servant couldn’t. When you have cultivated a relationship with God, you view things differently from other people. Other people will see things from the lens of logic, while you will see things from the lens of faith. You will understand that what is happening in the background is more than what is happening in the foreground.

Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV) – “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” When you are close to God, you can see things other people cannot. You will be able to understand mysteries that others can’t understand, like Joseph and Daniel when they interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar, respectively.

God wants to show us all these things, so He is always beckoning us to move closer to Him. You don’t need to rely on ‘prophets’ and other men of God to spiritual stuff. You can see them directly if you have a strong bond with God. Elisha prayed for God to open his servant’s eyes so that he could see all that. When God opened the young man’s eyes, the man saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding them.

Elisha prayed to God to smite the people with blindness, and God did that. God will do anything for us if we walk in His ways. Even if the majority does not agree with you, you are the majority when God is with you. This is because when God is with you, you have God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, each having infinite strength. Each one of them can destroy the whole population of earth in the flash of a microsecond and bring them back to life again.

When God is with you, you have the entire angelic system by your side, and the angels are more in number than the human beings on earth. Not only are they more in number, but they are also stronger and wiser than all human beings on earth. The least powerful angel cannot be compared to the strongest nor the most knowledgeable human because we were created a little lower than them (Psalm 8:5, Hebrews 2:7).

Speaking on Elisha, Ellen G. White says, “So effectual had been his ministry and so widespread his influence that, as he lay upon his deathbed, even the youthful King Joash, an idolater with but little respect for God, recognized in the prophet a father in Israel, and acknowledged that his presence among them was of more value in time of trouble than the possession of an army of horses and chariots. The record reads: “Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.” 2 Kings 13:14.”- Prophets and Kings, Page 261.1.

Jehoshaphat

2 Chronicles 20:10-12 (KJV) – “¹⁰ And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; ¹¹ Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. ¹² O our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee.”

Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir armies came to attack the people of Judah. Three powerful armies against one army. King Jehoshaphat saw that there was no way that they could defeat those three armies with their might. They had to rely on the power of God. He saw that these three armies outnumbered them, and if they went to battle them, they would outpower them. Being a man of faith, he ran to God because he understood that no matter how many enemies they had, they could not be stronger than God.

Jehoshaphat humbly told God, “We have no might over this great company that is coming against us, but our eyes are upon you.” God, through His servant, commanded them to sing songs of praise to Him. When the three armies came with their horses, chariots, weapons of war, and military strategy, they expected to meet the army of Judah armed with their weapons. However, instead of meeting the army of Judah, they met a choir.

We can see that God is very interesting when we imagine that scenario. Moreover, the choir had no single weapon and no single war strategy. Nevertheless, the choir was not bothered by them because they were not singing about them. Instead, they were busy singing songs of praise to God. The three armies were confused and overpowered that they started killing themselves. They killed themselves, and not a single one remained.

“It was a singular way of going to battle against the enemy’s army—praising the Lord with singing, and exalting the God of Israel. This was their battle song. They possessed the beauty of holiness. If more praising of God were engaged in now, hope and courage and faith would steadily increase. And would not this strengthen the hands of the valiant soldiers who today are standing in defense of truth?” – Prophets and Kings, Page 202.1, Ellen G. White.

“God was the strength of Judah in this crisis, and He is the strength of His people today. We are not to trust in princes, or to set men in the place of God. We are to remember that human beings are fallible and erring, and that He who has all power is our strong tower of defense. In every emergency we are to feel that the battle is His. His resources are limitless, and apparent impossibilities will make the victory all the greater.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 202.4, Ellen G. White.

David

1 Samuel 17:38-40 (KJV) – “³⁸ And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. ³⁹ And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. ⁴⁰ And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.”

“Though Saul had given David permission to accept Goliath’s challenge, the king had small hope that David would be successful in his courageous undertaking. Command was given to clothe the youth in the king’s own armor. The heavy helmet of brass was put upon his head, and the coat of mail was placed upon his body; the monarch’s sword was at his side. Thus equipped, he started upon his errand, but erelong began to retrace his steps. The first thought in the minds of the anxious spectators was that David had decided not to risk his life in meeting an antagonist in so unequal an encounter. But this was far from the thought of the brave young man. When he returned to Saul he begged permission to lay aside the heavy armor, saying, “I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them.” He laid off the king’s armor, and in its stead took only his staff in his hand, with his shepherd’s scrip and a simple sling. Choosing five smooth stones out of the brook, he put them in his bag, and, with his sling in his hand, drew near to the Philistine. The giant strode boldly forward, expecting to meet the mightiest of the warriors of Israel. His armor-bearer walked before him, and he looked as if nothing could withstand him. As he came nearer to David he saw but a stripling, called a boy because of his youth. David’s countenance was ruddy with health, and his well-knit form, unprotected by armor, was displayed to advantage; yet between its youthful outline and the massive proportions of the Philistine, there was a marked contrast.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 646.4, Ellen G. White.

King Saul gave David his armor. It was a great privilege for the shepherd boy to be given the King’s armor to wear. King Saul gave David everything he needed to fight the war. David being a small boy, felt uncomfortable in that armor. He felt it was too heavy for him because he was not used to it. As a shepherd boy, he killed two fierce animals, a lion and a bear. He killed them without having military attire. He was dressed as a shepherd feeding his flock in the wilderness, then a lion appeared, and he killed it. Another day, a bear appeared, and he killed it. He was confident that the God who enabled him to kill animals that everyone feared would enable him to kill Goliath, who everyone was frightened of.

1 Samuel 17:36 (KJV) – “Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”

David knew that someone who defies God stands no chance of succeeding. He knew that someone who hates God could not win against someone who loves God, no matter the authoritative position they hold, the strength they possess, or the resources they have. Sometimes they may seem to defeat the children of God, but eventually, God’s children will rise as winners.

People thought they defeated Jesus by seeing Him die on the cross, but after three days, Jesus raised Himself from the dead. David needed no military attire to defeat Goliath. With his shepherd clothes, he was confident that he would defeat Goliath. He relied not on the weapons Saul gave him or the attire but depended on God. While growing in Christ, God has given you the grace to keep all the commandments, but you may miss out on one. It might be the fourth commandment or the seventh commandment. The same God who made you keep all the other commandments will make you keep that one, as He made David prevail over the lion, the bear, and Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:44-50 (KJV) – “⁴⁴ And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. ⁴⁵ Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. ⁴⁶ This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands. ⁴⁸ And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. ⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.”

David prevailed over the gigantic champion Goliath with a sling and a stone. He had no sword in his hand. He had gathered five rocks but did not have to use all five. Instead, he smote him with the first stone. Goliath was laying his trust in his strength and his army’s might. David trusted in the power of God when He said, “For the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands (1 Samuel 17:47)”.

Elijah

1 Kings 17:10-14 (KJV) – “¹⁰ So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. ¹¹ And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. ¹² And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. ¹³ And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. ¹⁴ For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.”

The widow had a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruise. The food she had was only enough for one meal. She was sure they would die after she ate that meal with her son. God being a loving God, sent her Prophet Elijah. Prophet Elijah was not rich but a faithful man of God. Most people, especially in these modern times, are usually attracted to flamboyant pastors. Many have missed blessings because of despising men of God who are not materially wealthy.

Elijah goes to the woman and borrows her food. He assures her that she will always have food during the entire drought and famine period. That is hard to believe, especially since it comes from someone borrowing food. Luckily, she agreed to make the prophet a cake, and since God is a God who cannot lie and whose words are not wasted, she never lacked food, even a single day. The little that she had grew in abundance because God blessed and increased it. Some people think God is unfair because some seem more blessed than others. God is not unjust. God presents us with daily opportunities that carry rich blessings, like the widow of Zarephath.

“In this poverty-stricken home the famine pressed sore, and the pitifully meager fare seemed about to fail. The coming of Elijah on the very day when the widow feared that she must give up the struggle to sustain life tested to the utmost her faith in the power of the living God to provide for her necessities. But even in her dire extremity she bore witness to her faith by a compliance with the request of the stranger who was asking her to share her last morsel with him.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 130.1, Ellen G. White.

“No greater test of faith than this could have been required. The widow had hitherto treated all strangers with kindness and liberality. Now, regardless of the suffering that might result to herself and her child, and trusting in the God of Israel to supply her every need, she met this supreme test of hospitality by doing “according to the saying of Elijah.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 130.3, Ellen G. White.

God sends the blessings we have prayed for to us in disguised ways. Unfortunately, many miss them because they are not conscious of God’s word, therefore they lack faith which results in disobedience. God may send an opportunity to you through a child. He may send you a chance through a pauper on the streets or anyone you despise. God may send someone to tell you to do what you don’t like.

My late friend Dan who used to be a civil engineer narrated to me his story when he joined a certain church. Dan heard the voice of God telling him to be cleaning the church’s washrooms. At that time, he was telling me that story, he had risen to the position of Head of Protocol in that church, but he started by washing the lavatories.

God has presented such disguised opportunities to all of us, but we have neglected them, so we never get the blessings we desire. A certain person was going through a difficult situation and needed some assistance. I assisted that person with what they wanted and then told them to take time and read my articles while studying the Bible. The person told me they couldn’t see how mere words would help the situation. So they didn’t read. Whatever blessings God had for them through the study of His word, they despised it.

My high school friend and former desk mate Jared owns a company and an NGO with offices in various East African countries and is slowly expanding to other African countries. The company and the NGO are called Jubilant Stewards of Africa. He got the name Jubilant and the idea when attending a Christian Union meeting in high school. Having given that example, the question is, how many blessings have you missed when you missed a fellowship, prayer meeting, or church service?

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2. These words have lost none of their force through the lapse of time. Our heavenly Father still continues to place in the pathway of His children opportunities that are blessings in disguise, and those who improve these opportunities find great joy. “If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” Isaiah 58:10, 11.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 132.1, Ellen G. White.

We pray to God for blessings and for Him to give us light,

But little do we know, He sends them in disguise.

We ask for wealth, fame, and success galore,

But God answers in ways we never thought before.

“To His faithful servants today Christ says, “He that receiveth you receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me.” No act of kindness shown in His name will fail to be recognized and rewarded. And in the same tender recognition Christ includes even the feeblest and lowliest of the family of God. “Whosoever shall give to drink,” He says, “unto one of these little ones”—those who are as children in their faith and their knowledge of Christ—“a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” Matthew 10:40, 42.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 132.2, Ellen G. White.

I met Abdullahi at an event held in Nairobi. Kenya called the Blue Economy conference. The person is a Muslim. He requested me to take him a photo with my phone and send it to his wife because he didn’t have a smartphone. I agreed. From that day onwards that person has given me so many connections and presented me with numerous opportunities. He gives me anything to do with writing, whether he wants a proposal written or anything. He gives me anything to do with Information Technology, whether it is a website, software, or graphic design. Muslims have a lot of unity, but he passes all the Islamic people he knows doing the same services and gives me. Why? Because of simply agreeing to take a photo.

I met Godwin in a bus while going home has also given me many information technology-related opportunities. He has given me all those opportunities without proving that I am an expert or sending a CV. We had a conversation on a bus years ago, and I told him I am a technology professional, and from that day onwards, he has been giving me opportunities.

The Bible says in Matthew 5:47, if you only greet/talk to the people who greet/speak to you, what difference is there between you and an unbeliever? That small principle of greeting and talking to as many people as possible have paid off well.

However, when interacting with people, aim to bring them closer to Christ. Don’t aim to receive from them, instead aim to give because it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). God has presented everyone with almost an equal number of opportunities. The difference is some take those blessings through faith and humble obedience, while others don’t.

Those who are the most selfless gain a lot because there is always a blessing in every little good thing you do. Those who are selfish don’t end up getting much. A certain YouTuber told his story of winning five hundred dollars at a pool tournament one day. He said his friend asked him to give him half of the money after he won. He agreed and gave him 250 U.S. Dollars. The next day when they went to the same place to celebrate the money they had gained, his friend (whom he had given 250 U.S. Dollars) started playing pool with a certain stranger and won about 8,000 U.S. Dollars. Because his friend gave him half the money the previous day when he didn’t have money, he gave his friend half of his money after he won. He gave him 4,000 U.S. Dollars. That YouTuber got 4,000 U.S. Dollars after giving his friend 250 U.S. Dollars. His money was multiplied sixteen times. If he had not given his friend anything, he would still be with the 500 dollars.

Let’s be like the widow at Zarephath who didn’t deny the prophet food, even though what she had was the last meal she was left with. Sometimes, God may reward us immediately, as He did with the YouTuber, and sometimes, he may take time to reward us, but he will always reward us for every kind act we have done for our neighbors.

Proverbs 11:24-26 (KJV) – “²⁴ There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. ²⁵ The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”

“Giving is a part of gospel religion. The foundation of the plan of salvation was laid in sacrifice. Jesus left the royal courts of Heaven, and became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. His life on earth was unselfish, marked with humiliation and sacrifice. And is the servant greater than his Lord? Shall men, partakers of the great salvation which he wrought out for them, refuse to follow their Lord, and to share in his self-denial? When the world’s Redeemer has suffered so much for us, shall we, the members of his body, live in thoughtless self-indulgence? No; self-denial is an essential condition of discipleship.” – The Signs of the Times, March 18, 1886, par. 2, Ellen G. White.

King Hezekiah

2 Kings 19:35-37 (NKJV) – “³⁵ And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. ³⁶ So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. ³⁷ Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his God, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.”

“The reign of Hezekiah was characterized by a series of remarkable providences which revealed to the surrounding nations that the God of Israel was with His people. The success of the Assyrians in capturing Samaria and in scattering the shattered remnant of the ten tribes among the nations, during the earlier portion of his reign, was leading many to question the power of the God of the Hebrews. Emboldened by their successes, the Ninevites had long since set aside the message of Jonah and had become defiant in their opposition to the purposes of Heaven. A few years after the fall of Samaria the victorious armies reappeared in Palestine, this time directing their forces against the fenced cities of Judah, with some measure of success; but they withdrew for a season because of difficulties arising in other portions of their realm. Not until some years later, toward the close of Hezekiah’s reign, was it to be demonstrated before the nations of the world whether the gods of the heathen were finally to prevail.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 339.1, Ellen G. White.

Sennacherib attacked the people of Judah with a huge army. Before he attacked them, he sent King Hezekiah the following threatening words in a letter. 2 Kings 19:10-13 (NKJV) – “¹⁰ “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ¹¹ Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them, and shall you be delivered? ¹² Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?’ ”

We can see here that the Assyrian army was the most powerful army in the world at that time. They defeated all the nations that they fought. This deceived them into believing that the God of the Israelites (the only true God) is the same level as the other gods of the other nations they had defeated.

The Bible says in Galatians 6:7 (KJV) – “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Sennacherib tried mocking God when He told Hezekiah not to think that the God they serve will be able to deliver them from his hands.

Psalm 2:1-4 (KJV) – “¹ Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? ² The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed, saying, ³ Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. ⁴ He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” God, who sits in the highest place (the heavens), laughs when people on earth (which happens to be His footstool) think they are more powerful than Him, like Sennacherib.

God did not send many angels to defeat the Assyrian army. He sent one angel who killed one hundred and eighty-five thousand strong and well-trained soldiers of the Assyrian army. One angel from God destroying a whole battalion evidently showed that when you are with God, you are the majority. Don’t count the number of human beings who are on your side. Just be on God’s side, and no one will defeat you.

“Since the days of David there had reigned no king who had wrought so mightily for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God in a time of apostasy and discouragement as had Hezekiah.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 340.3, Ellen G. White.

Jesus

John 6:8-9 (KJV) – “⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, ⁹ There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?”

Andrew looked at the five loaves and two fish that the boy held. He looked at the multitude and concluded that they were too few to feed the large crowd. From a logical perspective, five loaves and two fish are not enough to feed fifty people, leaving a lone five thousand people. That food was too little in the eyes of any human being but not to God. To God, it was a lot. There is nothing that God created that has little or no value.

Genesis 1:31 (KJV) – “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”

The keyword is everything. Whether large or small, rare or abundant, everything God created was highly valuable. Nature has so much value that we are not aware of. God created dust which we step on and which we consider to be dirty. We rush to wash our hands when we touch dust or anything dusty. God took that same dust, which we despise and see little value in, and made man (Genesis 2:7).

Jesus took the two fish and the five loaves of bread and thanked God first. Gratitude goes a long way in increasing what we already have. That is why God says that when we return a tithe, He will open the windows of Heaven for us and hold the devourer for our sake (Malachi 3:10-11). He says this because returning tithe is one way of showing gratitude to God.

Some people are waiting till God gives them exactly what they want so that they can show Him appreciation. They may want a job paying them 10,000 U.S. Dollars per month but get one paying 300 U.S. Dollars. They start complaining to God and cannot thank Him till He gives them the one they want for 10,000 U.S. Dollars. They cannot return a tithe because they view it as too little and just enough to cater only to their basic needs.

God promised the Israelites to take them to the Promised Land, but before He took them there, He took them through the wilderness. The Israelites barely showed gratitude to God in the wilderness as they kept grumbling and complaining. As little as the bread and fish were before the huge crowd, Jesus thanked God for it, and then with faith, He began multiplying it. God increased it to the point that everyone in the group ate to their satisfaction, and they remained with twelve baskets.

The same God who multiplied the fish and bread then can do the same now. His power is not reduced. He wants us always to have an attitude of gratitude. Before He gives us great blessings, He will test us by giving us small ones.

Like the ungrateful Israelites who never entered the Promised Land, many have missed out on the bigger blessing due to a lack of thanking God for the small blessings. If we can’t thank God for the small gifts, we can’t thank Him for the big blessings. This is because when big blessings come our way, we will still look for something to complain about. You are praying to God to make a certain dream come true; don’t be angry because you have not achieved it yet. Be joyful and thank God for the journey.

If you want a dream to come true,

Be patient, and be thankful too.

Don’t fuss and fight, or grumble and gripe,

God’s timing is perfect, like a movie script.

Exodus 20:8-11 (KJV) – “⁸ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁰ But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

God wants you to work for six days and rest on the seventh day. Don’t work for seven days because you want to gain more money. Don’t study for seven days to gain more knowledge and pass exams. If you obey God and do exactly as He says, you will find yourself doing less and gaining more. When you rest on the Sabbath day, you get refreshed by God. After Sabbath, you will get a new spark and do more than the one who has worked till dark. So, take a break on Saturday, relax your soul, And let God fill you up like a bowl. He’ll give you power, strength, and might, To take on the week with all your might.

Don’t let money or ungodly knowledge be your guide,

On the seventh day, let yourself abide.

You may think working seven days is smart,

But trust in God. He’ll give you a brand new start.

Never despise the little. Put it in God’s hands.

So let’s spread a little love and a little light,

And make the world a little brighter, alright?

For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son,

So that whoever believes in Him will have eternal fun.

Prayer

Dear God, please help me to trust in you with the little that I have. In Jesus name, Amen.

Activity

Pray over every little resource that God has given you, and ask God how you can use them to bring more people to Him.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Author: Mark Alex   

Email: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com 

Phone Number: +254710633247   

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-alex-0b87a9109/

PayPal: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com  

Revolut: revolut.me/markalex92