In 2018 the world watched as 12 boys and their coach were trapped inside a cave in Thailand. Floodwaters had cut off all exits and people were losing hope quickly. International rescue teams began to show up to figure out how to rescue them, but the first step was to locate them. They asked for volunteers and two British divers stepped up. Because they were willing to simply explore and find them, the larger group was able to formulate a plan, they were able to mobilize everyone needed and we got to witness one of the greatest rescues in modern history. It started with two men who simply said yes.
In 1Kings 17, the prophet Elijah arrived at a small town. Verse 10 says, “As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, ‘Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?’” As she turned to go get this stranger some water, he pushed a little more and asked for bread. She explained she was gathering sticks to build a fire to make her last bit of bread before she permanently ran out of oil and flour. He asked to to go ahead and make it, but to give him some first. After saying yes to a small step of faith, she was able to say yes to a bigger one. Because she said yes, it opened the door to a greater blessing. Her oil and flour didn’t run out until after the famine was over.
Deuteronomy 28:2 says, “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God” (ESV). Sometimes what God asks of us doesn’t look spiritual. It could be to give a cup of water, a little bit of food, an encouraging word or changing a tire. The transformation and blessings happen after our obedience. Your yes to something small opens the door to greater things. Your obedience in the moment becomes the access point for God to do the miraculous. The initial act of obedience is often the hardest because it doesn’t look like it’s going to accomplish a lot in the moment, but God will use it as a doorway to blessings.
Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 