Threads of Encouragement – Looking for the “Big” Turtle

 

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Our theme verse this year for our mission trip to Ecuador is Ephesians 3:20.  Several months back, I heard a devotion from Habakkuk 1:5  “Look among the nations and watch—Be utterly astounded!  For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you.  In verses 1-4, the prophet Habakkuk is questioning God’s judgements, and verse 5 is God’s answer.   When I heard this verse it reminded me of Ephesians 3:20, Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.  

A couple of weeks ago I was taking my Grandaughter, Gracie to school when I saw a big turtle in the road.  Not far from our home, there are a couple of good size ponds beside the road, and the turtle was in the road beside the ponds.  So I stopped in the road (not much traffic on our road), and was trying to show Gracie the turtle.   However, Gracie just couldn’t seem to see the “big” turtle.   She kept saying “I don’t see it”.   I even opened the sliding door so she could see from her car seat easily, and she still said “I can’t see it”.    See, I think Gracie was looking for a small turtle, and overlooking the “big” turtle while looking for a small one.   Isn’t that so much like us to be looking for the ordinary things God might do, or ways we think God might work, or  people we think God might work through.   So many times God works in ways we can’t imagine.   More often than not, we don’t even ask Him to work in “big” ways because we limit His works to what we think possible.   Folks let’s be “utterly astounded” by what our Awesome God wants to do in our lives, through our lives, others lives, and for some of us, a mission trip to Ecuador.   Let’s not only be looking around for the small ordinary works, but let’s look for those “immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine” works our God has to show us.     Why? –you might ask– to give Him glory!  To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Ephesians 3:21.

Gracie did finally see the “big” turtle!


Comments

  1. Betsy Church says:

    Wonderful lesson and reminder to park our preconceived notions of what God’s plan may look like and simply step out every morning into whatever He offers! Oswald Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest) calls it His Irresistible Future. It may NOT look like the “big turtle” 😃we have in our mind, but it will be exactly what we need to “see” and we will be astounded! Looking forward to watching Him work in Ecuador! Thanks, Jackie. 🤓

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