Small Things Matter

A couple of months ago my husband bought a book that I had never heard of. I was surprised to find out it was by a famous Christian. The book was ‘My Utmost for His Highest’ by Oswald Chambers. I am sure most of you are quite familiar with it. The book consists of beautifully written daily devotionals. Today, though, I don’t want to talk about Oswald, but the lady who made this book possible and caused him to become so famous.

He was not well known in his lifetime, and only three books bearing his name were published. He mainly taught the Word of God. As he did this, his wife, Biddy, would sit at the back of the room and record his words, using shorthand. When Oswald died in 1917, after an operation, Biddy thought of transcribing her shorthand notes and publishing them as devotionals. She realised that her calling was to give her husband’s words to the world.

Slowly her work grew popular and the name of Oswald Chambers became well known to the rest of the world. By the time Biddy Chambers died, she had published almost fifty books which bore the name of her husband. What touched me the most in this story is the fact that, she was so faithful in doing what the Lord was leading her to do, taking notes, and how she used them to bless the body of Christ, after her husband’s death. Because of her, even a hundred years later, you and I can still read what Oswald taught.

The things we do today might not look like they have much value or significance. The Lord might be prompting us do something, even though we are not sure why we need to do it. But nothing is wasted in the kingdom of God. The Lord was able to sow Biddy’s ‘seeds’ and use them to reap a future harvest in the hearts of many people.

Let us not look down on ourselves and the things we do. We might think they are too simple to have such a lasting effect on someone. But ‘Whatever God does, endures forever’ (Ecclesiastes 3:14). Through our obedience in doing small things, He is able to produce a big harvest in somebody’s life, whether it is just in one person or a multitude. Let us be faithful in doing these small things, and, who knows, maybe one hundred years later, somebody might speak of us and our deeds in the kingdom of God.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for having a plan for my life. Thank You for all the ‘small things’ You have for me to do. I pray that You will help me to be sensitive to You, so I can know what they are and be obedient to do them, in Jesus` name, Amen.