1 00:00:10,820 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We are so glad to 2 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,139 Speaker 1: have you listening with us here today. Today's topic is 3 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: about recognizing miracles. We will return after a brief message 4 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:38,250 Speaker 1: from our sponsor. What if the small thing is the miracle? 5 00:00:38,790 --> 00:00:43,669 Speaker 1: Written by Leah Gerard. Read by Rochelle Alberti. Bible Reading 6 00:00:44,790 --> 00:00:47,409 Speaker 1: Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and 7 00:00:47,470 --> 00:00:50,330 Speaker 1: two small fish, but how far will they go among 8 00:00:50,390 --> 00:00:57,020 Speaker 1: so many? John 6, 9-13, NIV What an astounding miracle 9 00:00:57,060 --> 00:01:00,700 Speaker 1: it is that everything visible and invisible originates from God 10 00:01:00,820 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: on purpose, from the smallest electron through the infinite expanse 11 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,860 Speaker 1: of eternity. It's also miraculous that you and I were 12 00:01:08,900 --> 00:01:12,590 Speaker 1: born on a planet that's constantly spinning in perfect balance 13 00:01:12,610 --> 00:01:15,110 Speaker 1: with the sun and moon, while all of us stay 14 00:01:15,150 --> 00:01:21,010 Speaker 1: grounded by gravity. And although humans can conceive, design, build, plant, 15 00:01:21,110 --> 00:01:24,930 Speaker 1: and renovate in amazing ways, our efforts are always made 16 00:01:24,970 --> 00:01:29,380 Speaker 1: possible by a miraculous God. We can't grow things without 17 00:01:29,420 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: the dirt or water God made. We can't live without 18 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:37,030 Speaker 1: the sunshine and oxygen God supplies. And as Matthew 19, 19 00:01:37,030 --> 00:01:41,660 Speaker 1: 26 explains, with man, this is impossible, but with God, 20 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: all things are impossible. Now, I've never witnessed illogical miracles 21 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: like elephants cracking out of eggshells or the sky becoming 22 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: green while the grass turns crystal clear. But I've seen 23 00:01:54,500 --> 00:01:59,890 Speaker 1: miracles of many proportions. The truth is, whatever makes any 24 00:02:00,010 --> 00:02:02,950 Speaker 1: one of us exclaim, it's a miracle, may seem small 25 00:02:02,990 --> 00:02:07,330 Speaker 1: to someone else, but to you, Any size miracle can 26 00:02:07,370 --> 00:02:13,270 Speaker 1: be immensely meaningful, and I believe God loves that. Scripture 27 00:02:13,330 --> 00:02:16,170 Speaker 1: tells us that God not only knows every star in 28 00:02:16,190 --> 00:02:20,710 Speaker 1: the universe by name, Psalm 147, 4, but He's also 29 00:02:20,830 --> 00:02:25,830 Speaker 1: numbered the very hairs of your head, Luke 12, 7. 30 00:02:25,830 --> 00:02:30,470 Speaker 1: He isn't only present in the jaw-dropping, show-stopping miracles. He 31 00:02:30,610 --> 00:02:33,929 Speaker 1: also cares deeply about the granular details of your life, 32 00:02:34,460 --> 00:02:39,100 Speaker 1: and every small gesture. One of my favorite biblical stories 33 00:02:39,190 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: proving that even a small thing can be a miracle 34 00:02:42,150 --> 00:02:45,170 Speaker 1: is when the hungry thousands gathered to hear Jesus speak 35 00:02:45,650 --> 00:02:50,670 Speaker 1: after witnessing his healing power. In this passage, Jesus chooses 36 00:02:50,730 --> 00:02:55,109 Speaker 1: a small boy's meager lunch to demonstrate his immeasurable love. 37 00:02:55,910 --> 00:02:59,290 Speaker 1: With just five barley loaves and two fish, given by 38 00:02:59,330 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: a child, thousands had more than enough to eat. I 39 00:03:03,970 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: think it's valuable to note that before Jesus distributed the 40 00:03:07,940 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: loaves and fish, he gave thanks. Perhaps this is an 41 00:03:12,380 --> 00:03:15,820 Speaker 1: expression of gratitude for the truth that, although the boy 42 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:19,060 Speaker 1: and the amount were small, the potential and provision with 43 00:03:19,100 --> 00:03:24,090 Speaker 1: them was extraordinary. I think about this concept of small 44 00:03:24,150 --> 00:03:27,430 Speaker 1: things being wondrous even more during the approach of Thanksgiving 45 00:03:27,470 --> 00:03:31,050 Speaker 1: and Christmas. This season always inspires me to give thanks 46 00:03:31,090 --> 00:03:35,290 Speaker 1: for everything. including the hard parts that taught me, the 47 00:03:35,330 --> 00:03:38,810 Speaker 1: meager times that disciplined me, and the sustenance gathered during 48 00:03:38,850 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: phases of change or loss that surprised me. Sometimes the 49 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: smallest thing can hold the most meaning, even though it 50 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,180 Speaker 1: doesn't loudly announce itself or appear as a decadent luxury. 51 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:56,070 Speaker 1: It can lightly arrive and amaze you, nonetheless. Small miracles 52 00:03:56,130 --> 00:03:59,070 Speaker 1: like this can come in the form of unexpected quiet 53 00:03:59,110 --> 00:04:03,510 Speaker 1: time and a season of overwhelm. or finding an old memento, 54 00:04:04,490 --> 00:04:07,090 Speaker 1: or getting a phone call from a strange family member. 55 00:04:07,890 --> 00:04:10,550 Speaker 1: It may be as fleeting as a visit from a butterfly, 56 00:04:11,070 --> 00:04:14,070 Speaker 1: or any wild aspect of nature that a loved one treasured. 57 00:04:14,810 --> 00:04:17,469 Speaker 1: It could be small enough for anyone else to overlook. 58 00:04:18,770 --> 00:04:21,070 Speaker 1: It could also be as small as a mustard seed, 59 00:04:21,290 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: as we learn in Matthew 17 20, or as gentle 60 00:04:24,620 --> 00:04:27,180 Speaker 1: as the whisper Elijah heard in 1 Kings 19 12. 61 00:04:27,180 --> 00:04:32,219 Speaker 1: It can also appear as vulnerable as a newborn, wrapped 62 00:04:32,260 --> 00:04:36,910 Speaker 1: in cloths in a manger, Luke 2.12. Size isn't a 63 00:04:36,950 --> 00:04:40,710 Speaker 1: qualifier of miracles. It's a miracle because it feels like 64 00:04:40,790 --> 00:04:45,950 Speaker 1: love and astonishes your heart. As you move through Thanksgiving 65 00:04:45,990 --> 00:04:50,150 Speaker 1: towards Christmas this year, allow yourself margin to look for 66 00:04:50,350 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: and notice the small things that are miracles from God 67 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: to you. Apart from grandiose gestures or expensive gifts, these 68 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,460 Speaker 1: brief moments and tiny miracles are can fill your basket 69 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: and others to overflowing. Intersecting Faith and Life As the 70 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:12,540 Speaker 1: season turns towards Thanksgiving and Christmas, here's an easy idea. 71 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:17,140 Speaker 1: Set a small notebook next to your bedside. Each evening 72 00:05:17,190 --> 00:05:21,330 Speaker 1: before bed, write down just one thing you appreciated that day. 73 00:05:22,130 --> 00:05:25,690 Speaker 1: Choose something that may seem insignificant or silly to someone else, 74 00:05:26,210 --> 00:05:29,670 Speaker 1: but God knows it made you smile. In time, when 75 00:05:29,690 --> 00:05:32,780 Speaker 1: you look back through your entries, you'll witness the miracle 76 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:42,620 Speaker 1: of a grateful heart. Further reading, Zechariah 4.10 Ecclesiastes 3.12-13 77 00:05:43,430 --> 00:05:51,910 Speaker 1: Luke 16.10 Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you 78 00:05:51,970 --> 00:05:54,030 Speaker 1: liked what you heard today, we want to make sure 79 00:05:54,070 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 1: you know about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. 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