The author of my devotional book relates this, “I remember hearing of a Christian who was in great trouble, who said to a friend in utmost despair, ‘Well, there is nothing left for me now but to trust the Lord.’”
“‘Alas!’ exclaimed the friend in consternation. ‘Is it possible it has come to that?’”
After years of waiting until I came to the end of my own resources before asking God for help, I’m just beginning to learn that if I can trust Him with the big, impossible stuff, why not trust Him with the little things? Certainly if He can carry me through disasters, He can also help me with mild predicaments.
Last night I realized I had a chore that should be done in the morning. My roommate sets the hotel alarm for about an hour later than I need so I have time to have devotions before classes. My own alarm clock (that I’ve been hiding under my pillow so as not to wake her) is keeping time but the alarm has not worked once since I arrived here. I wake up, but this morning wanted to be up at least fifteen minutes earlier than usual to do that chore.
This is a little thing, but surely God can help me, I thought. Last night I prayed and said, “Lord, if this chore is important, make sure I’m awake before 6:30.” I slept soundly, and woke up at 6:20.
My heart is joyful as I think about the faithfulness of God. He is able, and even though I’m often surprised by His totally appropriate and timely answers, I should not be. His Word says He is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.”
His help is to meet my needs, but it is also for His glory. Ephesians 3:20-21 says in full, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
God takes care of both big and small things that He might be glorified in His people. We love to share the big answers, but does anyone care that He is also able to wake me up when I needed?
After I did my chore this morning, my roommate roused and immediately asked me, “Did your alarm work?” When I said it hadn’t, she asked how I managed to wake up. I told her of my prayer and that I just woke up a bit earlier than usual. She is a Christian, and I have no idea if this prayer and God’s answer is meaningful for her Christian life, but God did more than I imagined in this small request—He woke me on time, but also gave me opportunity to glorify Him by sharing it.
As my devotional book says, we are told that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). As creative as I think I am, I’ve never been able to second-guess God. He is always doing more than I ask, or something different from my expectations.
Regardless of what is going on in life, He is teaching me to trust Him. Surely, God is enough.
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