“Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon—his other name) and his army got an early start and went as far as the spring of Harod. The armies of Midian were camped north of them, down in the valley beside the hill of Moreh. The Lord then said to Gideon, ‘There are too many of you! I can’t let all of you fight the Midianites, for then the people of Israel will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength! Send home any of your men who are timid and frightened.’ So, twenty-two thousand of them left, and only ten thousand remained who were willing to fight. But the Lord told Gideon, ‘There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring and I’ll show you which ones shall go with you and which ones shall not.’ So, Gideon assembled them at the water. There the Lord told him, ‘Divide them into two groups decided by the way they drink. In Group 1 will be all the men who cup the water in their hands to get it to their mouths and lap it like dogs. In Group 2 will be those who kneel, with their mouths in the stream.’ Only three hundred of the men drank from their hands; all the others drank with their mouths to the stream. ‘I’ll conquer the Midianites with these three hundred!” the Lord told Gideon. “Send all the others home!’” Judges 7:1-7 (The Living Bible)
Hello friend! This is your Monday Short meditation. Smile, while you can! You see, I could just make my point, made in the passage above. But the Lord has persuaded me to start your week with some preliminary proof by means of three stories.
The First Story: I started pastoring in 1990. Around 1992 I started suffering from a chronic ear disorder called Menier’s Disease. Without warning, I would experience lengthy attacks of vertigo, along with some other unpleasant sickness and anxiety that accompanies every episode in which I experience the drastic impact of this disorder. While I was blessed to have some periods of remission, I suffered with this disorder for two decades. In spite of the affliction, aside from my duties as a husband and a father, I continued to work as a bi-vocational pastor, working at high level Human Resources jobs, teaching at more than one university concurrently as an adjunct professor, and publish two books. My primary vocation, as it was the will of God, was pastoring a church that was planted in September of 1990. What the doctors found out that I had a nerve telling my brain, without any external happening to stimulate dizziness, I should experience vertigo. The brain responded to the message of the nerve. I felt like the woman in the Bible with the issue of blood who had tried everything else. After many doctors had given up, one specialist told me I should have the nerve sending the signal cut to prevent it from sending the aforementioned message to my brain. I had the surgery, went through a very short recovery period, and was able to faithfully continue my work for the Lord. I don’t attribute the ability to press on with my disability to myself, not to the main surgeon, or anyone else other than the magnificent God we serve; the One we refer to as a “Doctor who never lost a patient.” So, while Gideon has a testimony about taking 300 men and defeating the Midianite army, I have my own testimony. My story is proof that God still takes small means and brings about great results, through faith.
The Second Story: The small church I pastor has continued to do great works, having victory over various types of barriers. In spite of small numbers of workers in the church or a small budget, we have had victory of over victory. When we saw opportunities to minister to people in our neighborhood, our community, our city, our nation, and even from an international perspective; we did the word with no regard to what some may call little resources, God has enabled us to experience success in reaching our objectives, and in overcoming barriers, so that we have been victorious in carrying out our purposes for Him. Case in point: Just this Saturday, a small group of members, made up of more children and youth then adults, embarked on a mission to provide food bags for the homeless. If anyone doubted it could be done, shame on them. For the Divine is definitely on our side and with His help, the work was done with ease. Just say this word right now and celebrate a little, “Victory!” This is just a snipped of a story that offers more proof. God can still takes small means a brings about great results, through faith.
I did italicize “Monday Short,” but really it is short. For I could have provided more detail in these two stories to give you proof about what God can do in a third story, your story, even with a little. He can give you the victory when you walk by faith and not by sight, or not by the numbers you see.
What God did in the two stories I shared, He can do it in your story. Your story is The Third Story. Just take on your challenge, confront your crisis, conquer the critical time you are facing, continue to look for the light in your dark times, and experience victory over what seems to be an unbeatable foe! And do this by faith. Remember, “Small means, but great results through faith!” Be blessed!
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20 NIV)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King