No Small Thing

No Small Thing

(Picture credits at end of post)

Matthew 10:40-42

And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”  Matthew 10:42– NASB)

What we consider to be small acts of kindness are not considered small from a Heavenly point of view. Our Lord considers the smallest act as worthy of a reward.

There is the true account of Dr. Howard A. Kelly. He was famous in medical circles, and a brilliant surgeon, besides being a devout Christian man.

While in medical school he sold books to help pay his way, going from house to house to offer his wares. It was thirsty work, so he stopped at a farmhouse and requested a drink of water from the young girl who came to the door. Instead of the water she offered him a glass of milk. The milk was cool and refreshing, which he greatly enjoyed.

A number of years later Dr. Kelly had graduated from medical school. At last he became chief surgeon at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

One day a woman was admitted to the hospital in a serious condition. She was placed in a private room and assigned a private nurse. Skilled surgeon as he was, Dr. Kelly did everything in his power to make her well. The operation was a success, and the woman recovered rapidly.

While she was overjoyed that she was recovering and would soon be going home, her joy was somewhat lessened by the thought of how she was going to pay for the operation and other related hospital fees. When the nurse brought the bill to her she was shocked to see how much each of the itemized services she had received cost. Each item seemed like an extra weight pressing down upon her. However was she going to pay for it all? At last she looked for the total at the bottom of the page. It was a very large amount, but under it was a notation: ‘Paid in full with one glass of milk! It was signed: ‘Howard A Kelly, M.D.’

You may not have the resources to do any “great” things, or get any recognition by the world for what you have done. However, if you give attention to detail, and do the small things that are within your power to do. You will not lose your reward. There are no small things with God.

Nothing Small

© Friday 10^th October 2014 – by Christopher Shennan

A small glass of water and a winning smile

Was all she could give to the man who came

To ask for a drink and to rest awhile,

But it felt like a fortune, all the same.

Just a moment he stayed to lend a hand

And encourage the lad who failed the test,

But the touch and the word helped him to stand,

And resolved in his heart to do his best.

The girl who’d been bullied, felt she could die,

Till a teacher took her under her wing;

Her heart was heavy, with many a sigh,

But this act of kindness taught her to sing.

There is nothing small if the gift is but true;

A smile, a hug, or a glass of cold milk;

A kind gesture seems a treasure, to you –

A rough woven garment can feel like silk.

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Water Glass, copyright by emptypulchritude. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, found here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. Find picture athttp://emptypulchritude.deviantart.com/art/Water-Glass-322320544. No changes were made to the photo.

Dead in the Water

 

Dead in the Water

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:1-2 – NASB)

We have all seen pictures of those old “Tall Ships” that operated on wind power alone.

Sometimes those ships had to endure periods in which there was no wind for days at a time. The term used for a ship in that situation was that she was “dead in the water.”  The sailors were stranded in one spot till the wind started to blow again.

On the day of Pentecost the coming of the Holy Spirit is described as a noise like a violent rushing wind.

A wind like that may put one of those Tall Ships in some danger, but it certainly would not be “dead in the water.”

May I suggest that many of our modern churches today are “dead in the water,” or at least many of their members are? There is no movement of the Spirit in their lives; they are not moved by the Spirit to engage in evangelism, works of service, or acts of mercy. Their lives are static and they have never uttered an “Amen!” in a church service in their lives. They are “dead in the water.”

In the Old Testament a message was delivered to a man named Zerubbabel we could well apply to our hearts today:

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.’ (Zechariah 4:6b – NASB)

If we did, there would not be so many of us sitting “dead in the water.” The “wind of God” would move us to do mighty deeds in His Name.

Dead in the Water

(© Tuesday 17^th June 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

I’d been “dead in the water” for years;

Nothing stirred in my soul to be true.

My heart was not touched or inspired

To love and be worshiping You.

 

I went to church often, it’s true;

And often I’d say a long prayer –

I was asked to do a great deal,

But the power of God was not there.

 

I was not content in those days,

With the way things happened to be –

I called on You Lord, in earnest –

And in no time You answered me.

 

The Wind of the Spirit then blew,

Softer at first and then stronger;

The sails of my heart then billowed:

The “deadness” was there no longer.

(Picture by Kerri McKinnon – Used with permission)

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