Have you ever had to start something from scratch?
When we begin something new it often feels so unfamiliar. We feel out of our depth and under qualified. Sometimes it may even feel like what we are doing in the beginning is insignificant?
I wonder how your feeling as you begin this New Year?
Have you started something new and it doesn’t seem to be as exciting as you thought it was going to be?
Did you think you would see change much faster than you have?
Did you think your new venture would gain traction and move quickly but it hasn’t?
There have been times in my life where I have ventured into something new and been left wondering what am I doing?
I want to encourage you today that the small beginnings you are experiencing could be the making of something huge.
Zechariah experienced this when he was instructed by the Lord to rebuild the temple. The temple had been lying in ruins and Zechariah had been asked by God to rebuild it. What a huge task that would have been and how mundane would the beginning have been.
Before the temple could be rebuilt the rubble and debris needed to be removed. They would have spent a lot of time moving dirt from one place to another and re-establishing the foundations.
God told Zechariah not to despise small beginnings, Zechariah 4:10. In fact God said He rejoices in seeing the work begin.
Do you feel that what you are doing is mundane? I wonder if it could be the beginning of something big. I wonder if in this time of small beginnings God is growing something inside of you or birthing something foundational that He will build on?
Despite how you may be feeling, God rejoices in seeing you begin. He loves it when we listen to Him and obey, especially when we don’t know how things are going to turn out.
Has God spoken to you about something you need to do this year? Maybe it involves a relationship and God has prompted you to approach things differently. Have you been faithfully doing what He said but as yet nothing has changed?
Has God prompted you to start a new initiative, which seemed exciting at the start but as you have begun to flesh it out, things are not coming together as you would have liked, leaving you questioning yourself?
My encouragement is that no matter what situation you are in persevere and don’t give up. Often taking those beginning steps is the hardest. That’s why I think it pleases God so much when we step out in faith and try something new because He understands it is hard. God knows the frustration we feel when we don’t seem to moving as fast as we would like. God is encouraging us to rest in Him in those times of small beginnings, trusting Him for the outcome.
When we embrace the small seemingly insignificant things we open ourselves up to bigger opportunities in the future.
Lord,
I choose to rejoice in small beginnings. I may not understand what’s going on or see the change I would like but I know You are faithful so I place my trust in You.
Amen
