Topic: All the Good We May Not See – Daily Devotional by Proverbs 31 Ministries 12 April 2021
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All the Good We May Not See
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
My baby daughter’s hands and feet went into suction-cup mode as I tried to hand her to the very nice lady in the church’s infant room. “They only cry for a few minutes,” the nursery volunteer promised.
An hour later, a weary but still very nice lady handed me my teary-faced infant and said, “You moms have them all week … we’re happy to give you a break.”
It wasn’t hard to read between those lines. As a seasoned mother, though, I knew if I didn’t leave my baby at the nursery again, she would continue to stay with me during the church service, so back we went the next week.
This time, I handed her to a very nice man – Mr. Neil. She stopped crying immediately. When I came back an hour later, she was still dry-eyed. Mr. Neil had held her the entire time.
Over the next six months, she graduated to Mr. Neil’s lap, then to Mr. Neil sitting next to her and finally to playing on her own while Mr. Neil watched. She enjoyed Sunday school, and I was able to listen to the church service again – something I desperately needed.
Two years later, I learned that the first day Mr. Neil met her was to be his last day serving in Sunday school. But when he saw how much my daughter needed him, he extended his volunteering … at first week-to-week, and then for an entire six months until she moved up to the toddler room. All for a little girl who couldn’t say his name, who would never remember his selflessness but, for whatever reason, became very attached to him. He did it for her. He had no idea I needed him just as much.
Processing my mom’s cancer diagnosis while managing three young children, all under the weight of a demanding job, left me drowning. That one-hour church service was the only thing keeping me afloat. It was my favorite hour of the week, the only peace I got. When I had to miss church, I would literally cry.
God clearly provided a helper for me when I needed it most, though I didn’t see it at the time. I am so grateful our God tosses us lifelines even when we don’t recognize they’re from Him.
But I tell this story for a different reason. You, too, are likely a servant of some kind, whether you have an official title or not. Sometimes our service for others energizes us. Sometimes it exhausts us. But the Bible urges us not to give up doing the good God has called us to do. Galatians 6:9 encourages us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” There’s an eternal reward waiting on the other side of faithful service: an abundant harvest.
Mr. Neil could have moved on as he had planned, but instead, he saw a need coupled with his unique ability to meet it. So he stayed, putting weariness aside and trusting God to provide energy and endurance.
Sometimes we don’t see the full harvest of faithful service. The only harvest Mr. Neil saw was a little girl who stopped crying only for him. By the grace of God, that was enough. He had no idea of the spiritual harvest that was to come in me through his care for my daughter.
Do not grow weary of doing good. God has placed you just where you are for a specific purpose. When you’re tired and feel like quitting, lean on Him to provide energy and endurance. Trust that the harvest is coming — one you may not see, but that will bring God the glory He deserves.
Dear Lord, thank You for sending helpers when we need them most. And thank You for using us as helpers when others are in need. When we begin to feel weary in the work You’ve given us, please remind us of all the good we may not see and let that sustain us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY
Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (ESV)