The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Friday, 20 July 2018 "Does It Matter?" by Kristen G. Johnson (Washington) Hebrews 6:9-12

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The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Friday, 20 July 2018 "Does It Matter?" by Kristen G. Johnson (Washington) Hebrews 6:9-12
[God] will not forget your work and the love you have shown. (Hebrews 6:10 (NIV))
Driving through the summer-browned countryside of Romania, I heard one woman on my vacation Bible school team ask another, “What is God teaching you this week?”
That question clanged around my mind for several days. What was God teaching me? Surely God had brought me to Romania to show me some life-altering truth. Yet among all the VBS crafts and singing at meetings where most of the participants could not understand me, I couldn’t see any lesson for me or any impact I may have had on them.
Until Wednesday. On Wednesday, a little girl handed me a daisy and a picture of bunnies and butterflies. Through a translator, her mother said, “She comes to VBS because of you. She thinks you have a nice smile and that you sing pretty.” My heart melted, and in my heart God whispered, “There’s your lesson.”
When we go on mission trips, serve at soup kitchens, or teach Sunday school for years on end, we might wonder if what we do matters. But that daisy and bunny picture reminded me that when we obey God in the seemingly small work, God expands its impact in ways we could never imagine. Our call is to do the work.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us take delight in doing the work you have given us to do, no matter how small it seems. May all we do bless others. Amen.
TODAY'S READING: Hebrews 6:9 Now even though we speak this way, dear friends, we are confident that you have the better things that come with being delivered. 10 For God is not so unfair as to forget your work and the love you showed for him in your past service to his people — and in your present service too. 11 However, we want each one of you to keep showing the same diligence right up to the end, when your hope will be realized; 12 so that you will not become sluggish, but will be imitators of those who by their trust and patience are receiving what has been promised. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: No act of serving God is ever wasted.
PRAYER FOCUS: Translators
READ MORE: Link2Life - July 20

Link2Life - July 20

JULY 20, 2018 BY KRISTEN G. JOHNSON (WASHINGTON)

RELATED DEVOTIONALS: DOES IT MATTER?

From left: Kristen; Mady, who is active in the church and whose family Kristen stayed with; and Lei, who asked the question in today's meditation

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