Make the Individual Difference!

Luke 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

Many are discouraged with the election results in the United States, others, perhaps are elated. Most Christians and Messianic believers do not see the nation choosing Biblical values with the continuation of the present administration, and are deeply concerned about the direction America is heading.

It is our view that the Scriptures do not hold out a political hope for mankind in this age, but that the political scene will be increasingly consolidated by evil powers, moving toward a system overseen by an anti-messiah; [Rev. 13]. And since Yeshua's (Jesus') great commission to us was directed primarily at individuals when He said to go make disciples of all the nations, we will continue to focus on the individual lives which we can help to save, bless, encourage, and disciple.

We are not losing the battle. The gates of Hell will not prevail against the Lord's building of His Body, and His kingdom will come, as millions have prayed, when He, the King, returns here to set it up. [see Acts1:6-7, Revelation 11:15] In this light, let me remind you of a popular story that offers a profound but simple encouraging message:

A young man once went to the beach. There, he saw miles and miles of starfish washed up on the sand. “If these starfish stay out here during the heat of the day,” he thought, “they'll die.” So he began picking up one starfish at a time as he walked, and threw them one by one back into the ocean.

An elderly man also walking along the shore approached him and said, “Do you mind if I ask young man, what are you doing?” “I'm throwing these poor starfish back into the ocean so they don't die in the hot sun,” the youth replied. “But what difference can you really make,” said the old man, “Look at this beach -- there are thousands, maybe millions, of starfish here!”

The young man smiled as he threw yet another starfish into the sea. “Well -- it made a difference to that one!”

“Faithful in a very little”, the Word of God says. It is faithfulness in the little things that the Lord rewards mightily! Every individual human being is precious and inestimably valuable to God. It is no waste of time to address the spiritual, emotional, or physical needs of any of the millions of individuals who suffer in one way or another. So keep "walking the beach and rescuing starfish", being faithful in small things. We believe that somehow, our reward will involve a broader authority when the Lord's kingdom arrives with Him. These are His words: "because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities."

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.

How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.

[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]

In these days, we have to pray for wisdom! In the letter of James, the Lord’s brother, he writes, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally…” [James 1:5] The context for this request is trials! Since this is a time of almost constant trials, God knows we need His wisdom, more than ever.

Throughout the Bible, the faith of the saints was never something passive — but rather a faith of action.

Much of the world is dealing with the greatest disruption of their lives… probably in their lifetimes, particularly in the West, and what is known as the “First World”. Here’s a helpful perspective toward understanding what is taking place.

Continuing our exciting account of the Moravian Revival, I have to highlight the minuscule quantity of saints involved. This was, in proportion to its astounding effect, a very small group, a little church. Yet the amazing demonstration of God’s principle of power through unity re-echoes the events at Pentecost when 120 believers also were in profound unity waiting on the Lord. It wasn’t the numbers but the removal of contention and division that paved the way for a 100-year revival.

The Moravian revival, our current subject, began in the little community of Herrnhut on August 13, 1727, with a tremendous outpouring of the Holy Spirit likened to that of Acts 2. It was a work of God that would transform this group of splintered Christian settlers into a unified missionary endeavor committed to reaching the unsaved around the world.

It never ceases to amaze me how our little girl, Elianna is growing and developing. I remember when she first came into this world, she was so helpless and frail — she couldn’t even move her head without our help. Now, just having turned two, she’s running around and tumbling, jumping, singing and dancing!

We found an interesting story in an old copy of “Our Daily Bread”: In 1883 in Allentown, New Jersey, a wooden Indian — the kind that was seen in front of cigar stores — was placed on the ballot for Justice of the Peace. The candidate was registered under the fictitious name of Abner Robbins. When the ballots were counted, Abner won over incumbent Sam Davis by 7 votes. A similar thing happened in 1938. The name Boston Curtis appeared on the ballot for Republican Committeeman from Wilton, Washington. Actually, Boston Curtis was a mule. The town’s mayor sponsored the animal to demonstrate that people know very little about the candidates. He proved his point. The mule won!