Trusting
God for the Results
…but God made it grow. So neither he
who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes
things grow.
1 Corinthians 3:6, 7
The story goes… There was a man
walking on the beach at dawn. He noticed a young boy repeatedly bend
over, pick something up, and throw it into the surf.
As the man drew near he recognized the
object of the boy’s attention. Somewhat agitated, he approached the
boy, “What are you doing, young man?” he demanded.
The boy gave him a cursory nod, and
said, “I’m picking up starfish and returning them to the sea,
Sir. If they are still lying on the beach when the sun comes up they
will die. They need my help.”
“But young man,” he said, taking
hold of the boy’s shoulder, “The beaches are littered with
starfish, and this beach alone goes on for miles! Why do you bother?
You can’t possibly hope to make a measurable difference in the
lives of all those starfish.”
The boy bent down as the sun crested
the horizon. He picked up another starfish and, in one gentle and
well-practiced motion, tossed it into the surf as he answered the
man, “Maybe not. But I sure made a difference in that one’s
life.”
†
There is a great temptation to equate
success with volume. Had the young man in today’s story seen things
that way he would have spent more time considering his actions than
doing the right thing, and many more starfish would have died.
The greatest historical event of all
time began with one man calling twelve other men, teaching them how
to serve and make disciples. That single action has resulted in the
salvation of untold numbers of souls. Will everyone be saved? No.
Sadly, many will choose not to accept God’s offer. Thankfully, God
doesn’t think like the man in today’s story.
Taking action and trusting God for the
results, putting one foot in front of the other without proof that
what we’re doing is making a difference, is called faith. We are
called to serve…it’s up to God to make what we do grow.
Prayer
“Lord, help me walk by
faith, listening for Your call, ready to take action in order to meet
a need. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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