A Little Goes a Long Way E-Book

Rachael Adams

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 232

Beschreibung

A significant life is more simple than you think. In a culture where bigger is seen as better, it's easy to wonder if your quick prayer between errands or the short note you text a friend means anything in God's kingdom. Contrary to how you may feel, every little thing you do can go a long way in God's hands. Partnering with God unlocks the eternal significance of the smallest act. In fifty-two devotions, Rachael Adams exemplifies this empowering truth and shares · personal stories of how God values each deed, · practical actions for lasting impact, and · encouraging prayers that reveal how much your contributions matter. Watch God take your everyday actions and transform them for his eternal purposes.

Leseprobe

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Savage, Minnesota, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

A Little Goes a Long Way: 52 Days to a Significant Life

Copyright © 2022 Rachael Adams

978-1-4245-6449-1 (faux leather)

978-1-4245-6450-7 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].

Author is represented by The Blythe Daniel Agency, Inc. | theblythedanielagency.com/

Cover and interior by Garborg Design Works | garborgdesign.com

Printed in China

22 23 24 25 26 5 4 3 2 1

Dedication

To Bryan, Will, and Kate. Thank you for your unconditional love and unwavering support. The little moments we share each day prove to me this message is true.

Contents

Welcome

Day 1: A Little Beginning

Day 2: A Little Love

Day 3: A Little Vessel

Day 4: A Little Invitation

Day 5: A Little Yes

Day 6: A Little Encounter

Day 7: A Little Presence

Day 8: A Little Group

Day 9: A Little Belief

Day 10: A Little Preparation

Day 11: A Little Meal

Day 12: A Little Walk

Day 13: A Little Dream

Day 14: A Little Perspective

Day 15: A Little Work

Day 16: A Little Song

Day 17: A Little Companionship

Day 18: A Little Celebration

Day 19: A Little Time

Day 20: A Little Touch

Day 21: A Little Prayer

Day 22: A Little Faith

Day 23: A Little Conversation

Day 24: A Little Money

Day 25: A Little Effort

Day 26: A Little Humility

Day 27: A Little Hospitality

Day 28: A Little Grace

Day 29: A Little Inclusion

Day 30: A Little Testimony

Day 31: A Little Tradition

Day 32: A Little Gesture

Day 33: A Little Letter

Day 34: A Little Courage

Day 35: A Little Thought

Day 36: A Little Clothing

Day 37: A Little Gratitude

Day 38: A Little Encouragement

Day 39: A Little Story

Day 40: A Little Interruption

Day 41: A Little Perseverance

Day 42: A Little Seed

Day 43: A Little Kindness

Day 44: A Little Look

Day 45: A Little Sacrifice

Day 46: A Little Forgiveness

Day 47: A Little Cup

Day 48: A Little Number

Day 49: A Little Object

Day 50: A Little Vision

Day 51: A Little Less

Day 52: A Little by Little

A Little Bit More

A Little List of Tasks

A Little Encouragement: A Collection of Small Significant Reminders

A Little Inspiration: Key Scriptures List

A Little Flavor: Recipes

A Little Acknowledgment

A Little about the Author

Welcome

“A little goes a long way” is a familiar saying we apply to all sorts of things—from spice, to garlic, to logic, to flattery, to perfume, to jewelry, to makeup, and on. But beyond our kitchens, closets, philosophies, and compliments, every little thing we do can go a long way in God’s hands. I am learning that small things make a big difference, especially when we do them consistently over time.

We see this concept throughout the Bible in the lives of men and women who did something big with the little they were given. Joseph was the youngest in his family and was sold into slavery, but because of his faithfulness to God, he eventually rose to a position of power and saved the Egyptians and Israelites from famine. Gideon was the least of his family, yet his small army defeated the much larger Midianites. David was also the youngest of his family, but with just a sling and a stone, he defeated Goliath. Esther was an orphan placed in the king’s palace, but she saved the Jewish people from annihilation and preserved Jesus’ bloodline. And may we not forget Jesus himself, born in a manger in the middle of tiny Bethlehem, but grew up to save the entire world. God’s greatest plan began with something small.

During Jesus’ time on earth, he demonstrated the importance of “a little.”

He valued the little things: hairs on our heads, birds in the air, and flowers in the field.

He noticed the little things: a slight touch of his garment, a diminutive tax collector perched in a tree, and a widow and her two coins. He served in little ways: washing feet, holding children, and cooking fish. He rewarded little deeds: the woman bathing his feet with her tears, the leper who said thank you, and the woman by the well who gave him something to drink.

Nothing was too insignificant for the Savior of the world. So why do we regularly consider bigger to be better? Friend, God sees and values every little thing you do. We can affect others while standing in the checkout line or sitting on the game field sidelines, while walking the dog or talking to a colleague at work. Believe it or not, when you partner with God, he can use even the most minute things to affect eternity in ways beyond what you can imagine. People like you and me can accomplish great things in our everyday moments by offering all we are and all we have to God.

Little things aren’t little to him. We are making an eternal impact even when we don’t see tangible results. I hope to help you believe this truth on our journey together.

This book will guide you through fifty-two devotions that you can read at your own pace—in one sitting, one a day, one a week, or sporadically throughout the year. You can read them in order or pick one that appeals to you at the moment—it truly is up to you. In each devotion, you will find personal stories coupled with Scripture. Also included is a little task for you to do and a personal prayer to say. To be clear, the goal isn’t for you to do more but to trust in the value of all the little you are already doing.

If you are longing for significance and questioning whether your contributions matter, I pray that by the time you reach the end of this devotional, you will understand how important what you do is and how significant you truly are. A significant life is simpler (and smaller) than you think.

On the journey with you,

Rachael

DAY 1

A Little Beginning

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.”

ZECHARIAH 4:10 NLT

I was born and raised in a small, rural Kentucky town. After going away to college and getting married, I returned to my hometown. I briefly worked outside the home until we had our children, at which point I decided to stay home with them full time. My days revolved around diapers, bottles, and Cheerios. Even though I knew in my heart it was important work, some days it didn’t feel that way.

Both of my children are in school now, so most days I’m alone as I attend to my daily responsibilities, accompanied only by my animals. When my husband, Bryan, comes home from work and asks how my day was, I list all of the things I accomplished: I read my Bible, made the beds, walked the dogs, wrote a devotion, recorded a podcast, went to the grocery store, paid bills, cooked dinner, washed dishes and clothes, helped with homework, took the kids to their games, and so on. When he asks, he isn’t necessarily asking what I’ve done, rather simply wondering how I am. Even knowing this, I still want the assurance that I’m doing a good job. That I am significant.

The thing is that this desire for assurance and significance is a daily occurrence. I lay my head down at night reflecting on what I’ve accomplished, and I wake up to my alarm and start again, back to what I perceive to be square one. Each day I have a choice. Will I begin again regardless of how small my work seems in the grand scheme of things, trusting God is growing me and using it all? Or will I grow discouraged and be lulled to sleep by the monotony, believing it is all ineffective and pointless?

This is your choice too. While your to-do list may look different from mine, I have a feeling our hearts are similar. We want our lives to count, but we feel minuscule, like our ordinary, everyday moments will never amount to anything. We take stock of the families we were born into, the towns we grew up in, and the positions we serve in, then we determine they are of little value. If we aren’t careful, we can start to believe that who we are, where we are, and what we are doing doesn’t really matter.

A remnant of Jews who had returned to Judah to rebuild the temple and their nation had similar thoughts. Many of the older Jews were disheartened when they realized this new temple would not match the size and splendor of the previous temple built during King Solomon’s reign.

But a minor prophet (not a major prophet, incidentally) named Zechariah gave the people encouragement from God by saying, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin” (4:10 NLT). The NIV translation says, “Who dares despise the day of small things.” Zechariah was trying to communicate to them that bigger and more beautiful isn’t always better. The presence of God on the inside of the temple was what made it significant.

Zechariah’s fellow minor prophet Haggai says it this way, “How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?” (2:3). So often, who we are and what we are doing feels like nothing. But friend, because God is on the inside of us, we, too, are significant.

At the genesis of the world, God created us from dust (Genesis 2:7). With his breath, God brought life to something simple and small. He breathed life into us. He is the one who turns our ordinary lives into something extraordinary. In him, we have significance, and everything we do for him is meaningful. May we stop questioning the value of who we are and what we do, and may we accept that we are important to God’s purpose in this generation. He rejoices in what is right not necessarily what is big. Be faithful in the small. Begin where you are, do what you can, and leave the results up to God. I pray we no longer seek or crave outside affirmation but settle in our minds and hearts that his validation is enough.

Today is a genesis of our own as we embark on this devotional journey of living with significance. Keep going and persevere to the end, celebrating tiny victories and growth all along the way.

Your Little Task

What is God asking you to begin or begin again? Start a record of the small steps you are taking toward your goal. Celebrate your progress and growth. Make note of each new milestone but remember that much of your growth will be on the inside. (He could simply be asking you to begin reading this devotional and complete these little tasks. If so, you can use the tracker in the back of the book to help with this process!)

Prayer Prompt

Lord, help me to make peace with the little I am and the little I have. May I remember I am small compared to you and that it is your Spirit that breathes life into anything I do. Father, assure me that you rejoice when I begin. Give me the courage to begin and to celebrate the person that I am and the location where you have placed me. When I am tempted to quit, help me persevere. Remind me that although I start at the beginning, you have a beautiful ending in store. Amen.

DAY 2

A Little Love

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

JOHN 15:12

“Would you live with me in a cardboard box?” my boyfriend, now husband, Bryan, asked as we sat on the concrete steps of the university student center. “I need to know that I’m enough for you no matter what life brings.” After an awkward moment of silence, I told him no.

At the time, I didn’t truly understand his question. However, after weathering job changes, bank account dips, childbirths, health crises, and five house moves (including living in a RV), I now understand. It doesn’t matter what we have or where we go. What matters is that we have each other.

I also now understand that when Bryan asked if I would live in a cardboard box with him, he was asking whether I would act out my love in the ways that count most; he wanted to know if my love was more than mere words. When times got tough, would I still stay by his side?

Bryan and I refer back to our cardboard-box moment quite often. It reminds us to avoid getting caught up in the stuff of life and instead to focus on tangible, practical ways of showing love for one another. It helps us put our words into action; it helps us get back to the basics. I wonder if we need to get back to the basics of action-based love when it comes to our relationship with God too.

When asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (Mark 12:28), Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (vv. 30–31).

Jesus’ response summarized all of God’s laws, reducing them to two simple principles: love God and love others. Later, he simplified the command even further, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

Jesus demonstrated this law with his life, loving us all the way to the cross. As he was a living example of God’s love, we are now to be a living example of that love to others.

In the Gospel of John, Peter learned about this principle firsthand after he had disowned Jesus three times. It was a back-to-the-basics, cardboard-box moment for Peter. I imagine Peter sitting with Jesus along the shore as Jesus questioned Peter three times. Jesus asked, “Do you truly love me more than these?…Do you really love me?…Are you even my friend?” In my mind, I picture Peter looking intently at Jesus, wondering where he was going with this line of questioning, not completely understanding what he meant by the probing.

When Peter answered each question with “Yes, I love you,” Jesus responded, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). In essence, Jesus was saying, “Show your love for me by loving mankind. Not just with words, but with tangible action so that I am revealed through you and others may come to know and love me too.”

Now it’s your turn to be on the hot seat. Envision yourself sitting with Jesus in a cardboard-box, back-to-the-basics moment of your own. Hold his gaze and listen as he asks you, “Do you truly love me? Do you really love me? Are you even my friend?” We don’t have to stare into space searching for a satisfactory answer because we already have a better understanding of what he means. We can respond immediately with an emphatic yes! Not just a yes with our words but a yes with our actions as well.

Your Little Task

Settle in your heart that God is your first love and open your heart to receive his love. Without his love you have nothing of significance to give.

Prayer Prompt

Lord, you are my first love. Forgive me for loving you for what you give me rather than for who you are. I know you love me for who I am and not for what I can give you. Enable me to love others as you have loved me. Help me to find my way back to the basics. Fill me with your Spirit to love a lot with the little I have. Open my eyes to see how a little love can go a long way. Amen.

DAY 3

A Little Vessel

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

2 KINGS 4:2

I polled my podcast listeners about how much they felt they had to offer God and others. On a scale of one to ten, with one being nothing and ten being a lot, the average answer was a three. When asked if they believed their contribution mattered, 83 percent responded no. I had hypothesized this would be the case; however, these findings were even more startling than I presumed. Would your response be similar?

In 2 Kings 4, we meet a woman who also felt like she had little to offer. She was a widow, and a creditor was coming to take her two boys as slaves. In desperation, she cried out to the prophet Elisha for help. Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“‘Your servant has nothing there at all,’ she said, ‘except a small jar of olive oil’” (4:2). Elisha instructed her to ask her neighbors for empty jars and specifically told her not to ask for “just a few” (v. 3). Once she had gathered them, she was to shut the door of her house, pour the oil into all the jars, and put them to the side as each of them was filled. She did as he advised. Her sons continued to bring jars, and she kept pouring. When there were no more jars, the oil stopped flowing. She had so much oil she was able to pay her debts and live on what was left (vv. 4–7).

I wonder if God is asking us a question similar to what Elisha asked the widow. Could he be asking, “What do you have?” And if so, how often do we respond, “I only have _________,” or “Nothing except _________.” But what strikes me so profoundly about this story is that although the widow knew she had nothing with which to fill the jars, she gathered them anyway. The number of jars she gathered was an indication of her faith as evidenced by the flow of oil only stopping when she ran out of containers. The widow was abundantly blessed as a result of her active faith—not in herself but faith in God working through her.

God’s provision was as large as the widow and her sons’ faith and their willingness to obey. The same is true of us. We may only have a little “oil,” but God’s supply is more than enough to fill our empty vessels. As we allow him to fill us, we can fill the world’s empty spaces by using what he has given us. When we offer all we have, no matter how small and inadequate it may seem, we can trust God to turn it into immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

Sometimes acting in faith may come naturally for us, and other times we may need to borrow our neighbor’s faith like the widow borrowed her neighbor’s vessels. But rest assured, God is working in you, and you are enough just as you are. If we polled him on whether we have anything of value to give, I think he would respond with a perfect ten.

Your Little Task

Turn your hands with your palms facing up to God. In this posture, pray for God to fill your empty vessel and commit to him that you will pour out what he’s given you to fill others too.

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I know I am empty without you. Forgive me for the times I go to any other source to fill me. You are the only one who ever sustains. May I be a vessel for you and overflow so others may be filled by you too. Amen.

DAY 4

A Little Invitation

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

MATTHEW 25:34

As a new mom, I was afraid to go anywhere during the first year of my son’s life. I was nervous Will would cry or get sick, so it seemed safer to just stay home. But I knew being secluded for such a long time was not healthy, and after a year of isolation, I was longing for relationship.

Despite my fears, I decided to attend Toddler Tales at the local library. There, a woman greeted me and invited me to join her later that week at a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) gathering. I accepted her invitation, and while I was at the MOPS meeting, another woman invited me to attend a local church. I accepted her invitation as well, and while at church, another woman invited me to join her for a women’s Bible study. This led to my family joining the church, my children being baptized, and my being asked to lead a Bible study. This in turn led to my love for Bible studies like the one you are reading right now. Amazingly, I am where I am today because of the power of a simple invitation.

Jesus knew the power of personal invitations, too, and often extended them. He invited people to participate in various activities, including the following:

To rest: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

To see: “‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see’” (John 1:39).

To drink: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37).

To dine: “Come and have breakfast” (John 21:12).

To take up the cross: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 ESV).

To renew: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31).

To be blessed: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

Did you notice the caveat in each of these invitations? Come. Jesus calls us to come. He made this point vividly clear in the parable of the wedding banquet. In Matthew 22, Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come” (22:2–3).

In this story, the king invited his guests by sending two invitations. The first asked the guests to attend the banquet; the second announced that it was ready. Each time, they rejected his invitation by making excuses—they couldn’t attend because of work duties, family responsibilities, financial needs, and so on. Therefore, the master told his servant to invite others and make them come in so his house would be full (Luke 14:15–24).

I love his open invitation, don’t you? We, too, are invited into a relationship with God, but it is up to us to accept the invitation. Like those in the parable who turned down the invitation to the banquet, we often resist or delay responding to God’s invitation. Are you making excuses to avoid responding to God’s call? Friend, Jesus invites you to be with him forever in eternity. How will you RSVP? Who will be your plus one?

Your Little Task

Knowing how God can use a little invitation to make a significant impact, think about someone to whom you can extend an invitation. Who knows where it may lead?

Prayer Prompt

Jesus, thank you for the opportunity to fellowship and commune with you. May I extend the same invitation to people in my life and trust you with the outcome. Draw us all closer to you. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.

DAY 5

A Little Yes

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

LUKE 1:38

I met my husband, Bryan, on the first day of college. We were in the same orientation group, and I remember eyeing him from across the circle of freshmen as we played icebreaker games under an oak tree. Nearly four years later, on the night before my graduation, he got down on one knee under that same oak tree and asked if I would marry him. With tears in my eyes, I enthusiastically said yes!

After a year-long engagement, we stood under a church steeple in front of God, family, and friends. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part—we said yes to all.

Though it was easy to say yes in that moment, it has proven to be more difficult to keep saying yes over the course of our married life. Not because I don’t love Bryan but because my selfish, sinful nature gets in the way much more often than I’d like.

My Christian walk has mirrored my marriage. It was easy to say yes to God and begin a relationship with him. Saying yes to eternity in heaven, unconditional love, unlimited forgiveness, and unmerited grace wasn’t a hard decision for me. Jesus did all the hard work. I simply had to receive and trust in what he promised. What has proven to be more difficult is to keep saying yes to him for the rest of my life. It’s easier to say yes to God when things are going well and life is running smoothly. But when he asks me to do something uncomfortable or inconvenient, the yes may not come as enthusiastically as before. Yet, it is precisely during these times that our answers to God’s call should be a resounding yes.