Message summary: All over the world most of what will happen today to honor God and help others will be rather "small things".

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"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" (John 6:9).

Most of our readers have heard of Joni. On July 30, 1967, she became a quadriplegic in a diving accident. She dived into the Chesapeake Bay, at 17 years of age, and misjudged the shallowness of the water.  I first heard of her due to a Billy Graham film simply called "Joni" which came out shortly after Brooksyne and I married.

Ten years after her accident she founded "Joni and Friends", an organization to "accelerate Christian ministry in the disability community". Brooksyne has served as a volunteer at their camp in the Poconos in the past. Joni has had a faithful, long-term ministry and will turn 75 on October 15th, the day after my birthday.

While recovering from her accident Joni was in deep despair and even entertained a desire to commit suicide, but she devoted her life to Christ and a wonderful transformation took place.

She had every excuse to wallow through life and in fact early on dealt with depression. However she found one of life's greatest blessings; a purpose for living. Joni focused on what she could do rather than what she couldn't. She learned that little is much when God is in it.

She has a world-impacting ministry with a special emphasis upon the spiritual needs of the disability community and she finds her joy in Christ as she seeks to glorify Him and as she blesses other lives.

All over the world most of what will happen today to honor God and help others will be rather "small things". They may even seem insignificant at the time. You can be virtually certain they will not make the news. These are the scores of encounters when food will be given to the hungry, water to the thirsty, hospitality to the stranger, visits to the sick and those in prison (see Matthew 25:34-40).

Today's Scripture portion is taken from the account of the feeding of the five thousand. Our human inclination in dealing with the dilemma described in this story would be to hire a huge catering service or expect a government agency to come in and deal with the problem. But it didn't work that way. And so often it still doesn't today!

Let us consider the boy in today's story. Seeing the need, he approached one of the disciples with his lunch and the disciple in turn went to Jesus: "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Notice the disciples' perspective when seeing the "five small barley loaves and two small fish". They asked the obvious question, "but how far will they go among so many?

Was the boymature enough to feel sort of foolish in thinking that his small offering could really make any difference? Did any of his friends taunt him for his apparent irrational thinking? Yet Jesus used that little lunch, miraculously multiplying its impact and meeting the needs of the thousands who were present.

Many of us have been challenged with the phrase, "Do something big for God" which is a great aspiration. But something big for God is often a series of small, seemingly insignificant attempts to be the salt of the earth Jesus called us to be. Most of us just aren't in a place today that we can do something really big for God, but we can find ways to broadcast the salt and let our light shine to a dark world in the small things that touch other's lives. Let us take the proper steps to step out in faith, believing God will use us for His glory!

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, my little becomes great as You inspire me to do good works in Jesus' name. Help me not to reach a standstill based upon my limited abilities, wisdom, or resources. I don't give to others according to my limitations but I give to others from the abundance You pour into me, for when I am weak then You are strong. Grant me creative means and willful determination to extend myself to someone who needs a lift today. Direct my footsteps according to Your Word as You give opportunity for divine encounters this day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

"Little Is Much When God Is In It"  Watch on YouTube  Larry Ford  What a moving, thought-provoking song!

"Does Jesus Care?"   Watch on YouTube   The Evans Family    Dedicated to Ross and his wife Nancy.  Ross is a fellow teacher who is recovering from a stroke he suffered in April. Yesterday I visited them and after hearing of their challenges and preparing to pray for them, I considered a line from the song, "When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares". May God give them that assurance as well as any of our readers going through a hard time.

Here's your daily dose of wholesome inspiration