05-02-21 | (IN)significant Encounters | Rick Ives
It has always amazed me how God often takes seemingly insignificant or meaningless things and multiples them into something big and amazing. The examples in the Bible and all around us abound.
Think about Jesus. Born into poverty, in a stable for animals, far from his parents’ home and immediately persecuted after he was born – not much of a great start. And yet, He is the King of Kings today.
We saw in the story of Aquila and Priscilla how God took what seemed to be almost a coincidental meeting with Paul and multiplied it into a team and partnership that blessed all the churches in the areas where they worked. Aquila and Priscilla were outcasts, having been kicked out of Rome for being Jews. They were simple tent makers, trying to restart a life in Greece where they knew no one. Then God introduced them to Paul, and the amazing work of traveling, planting churches, raising up leaders, and winning souls to the Lord began.
In our overly busy and scheduled lives, it’s easy to overlook a person or a conversation if we don’t deem that spending time engaging rises to a level of “importance.” At times like that, let’s remember the little poor baby in the manger, or the outcast couple in Corinth. More importantly, let’s carefully consider when someone comes to us with a need, or some advice, or even a criticism. It could be God wanting to multiply it into something really big and wonderful.
And it works both ways. Sometimes, God will whisper into your spiritual ears to go and pray for someone, or give an encouraging word, or take a meal, etc. It may seem an inconvenience, it may seem unimportant, we can brush it off telling ourselves that someone else will handle it. But when God plans for us to encounter someone, that’s our assignment .And often, God’s assignments turn into great adventures.
Here at Fellowship, everyone matters. We wont always agree, we won’t even always “like” everyone, but we are all pulling together to go to work in the white harvest field we see around us. So many times people have come to me with a short word of encouragement that lifts my spirit to want to do more for Jesus. I know this happens to you as well, and I hope you return the favor by trying to be a blessing to others. The harvest field is white, we just need to plunge in, even in small ways, and be a blessing to whoever God connects us with.
Would you do this, please? Ask the Lord – who are you sending to me today that I can be a blessing to? And also – who do you want me to go to today to try and be a blessing? It’s often all about the little things that gets things going and growing.
God Bless You Friends – you are loved, and you are sent! Pastor Rick