Session 7

The ripple effect

From Ruth: A 7-Day Devotional

Sooner or later, we are all faced with life-changing circumstances. These are times when the normal comes to a screeching halt, when decisions are not easy, and when drawing close to God becomes our immediate focus. We tend to slow down, knowing that what we do next will have long-lasting consequences.

But what if we took the same approach with the thousands of small decisions we make each day? Our everyday choices are just as much a part of God’s plan as where we go to school, what job we take, or who we marry. In decisions big and small, our faithfulness to God causes a ripple effect that not only influences the present, but generations to come. Take Ruth’s faithfulness, for example. Ruth had no idea that the fruit of her obedience would include Jesus’ birth into her family line. She was the great-grandmother of King David, an ancestor of Jesus.

So what about us? Let’s say we understood all the “whys” behind what God is asking us to do. We would be more like robots than people who trust God. We may not know everything we want to know, but we know Who does.

Ephesians 3:20 says God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” And He does this “by His power that is in us.” God plans beyond what we could even dream to imagine or ask. And His power lives in us! That’s reason enough to live by faith, trusting Jesus to guide us each step of the way. Through Him, our faithfulness will be an eternal echo bouncing off the walls of time.

Reflect:

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to do something if you know every step of the plan?
• Is there any area of your life where you are struggling to understand why? Make this your prayer today: “Lord, do what You need to do in me so You can do what You want to do through me.”