What Are You Bringing To The Table?
5 Day Devotional
Day 1: What's in Your Hands?
Devotional: A young boy showed up with a small lunch and no impressive credentials. Five barley loaves and two fish. Barley was the cheapest grain around, the kind fed to animals. By any measure, it was not enough. But he handed it over anyway, and Jesus fed thousands with it. That is the pattern God has always followed. Noah had gopher wood. Moses had a rod. David had a sling. None of it looked like much. But placed in the right hands, ordinary things become extraordinary. You may be looking at your own life right now and thinking the same thing. Not enough talent. Not enough time. Not enough faith. But God has never been limited by the size of what we bring. He is only looking for the willingness to bring it. Stop waiting until you feel more qualified. Stop waiting until things look better. Whatever is in your hands today, it is enough for God to work with. The miracle does not start with the size of the offering. It starts with the surrender.
Bible Verse: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33 (King James Version (KJV))
Reflection Question: What is one thing you have been holding back from God because you felt it was not enough?
Quote: "God has never been limited by the size of our resources. Noah had gopher wood, Moses had a rod, Elijah had a mantle, David had a sling, Rahab had a crimson cord, and Jeremiah had tears."
Prayer; Lord, I surrender what little I have into Your hands today. Use it for Your glory, and help me trust that You are more than enough to make up the difference. Amen.
Devotional: A young boy showed up with a small lunch and no impressive credentials. Five barley loaves and two fish. Barley was the cheapest grain around, the kind fed to animals. By any measure, it was not enough. But he handed it over anyway, and Jesus fed thousands with it. That is the pattern God has always followed. Noah had gopher wood. Moses had a rod. David had a sling. None of it looked like much. But placed in the right hands, ordinary things become extraordinary. You may be looking at your own life right now and thinking the same thing. Not enough talent. Not enough time. Not enough faith. But God has never been limited by the size of what we bring. He is only looking for the willingness to bring it. Stop waiting until you feel more qualified. Stop waiting until things look better. Whatever is in your hands today, it is enough for God to work with. The miracle does not start with the size of the offering. It starts with the surrender.
Bible Verse: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33 (King James Version (KJV))
Reflection Question: What is one thing you have been holding back from God because you felt it was not enough?
Quote: "God has never been limited by the size of our resources. Noah had gopher wood, Moses had a rod, Elijah had a mantle, David had a sling, Rahab had a crimson cord, and Jeremiah had tears."
Prayer; Lord, I surrender what little I have into Your hands today. Use it for Your glory, and help me trust that You are more than enough to make up the difference. Amen.
Day 2: God Never Wastes a Hurt
Devotional: There are seasons of life that feel like pure loss. Depression. Heartbreak. Failure. Addiction. In the middle of those storms, it is hard to imagine that anything good could come from the pain. But God does not waste a single hurt. He is not careless with your suffering. In fact, the very thing you have walked through may be the exact thing that qualifies you to reach someone still in the middle of it. Think about that for a moment. Your story, the parts you are most tempted to hide, could be the very thing that opens a door for someone else. People are not looking for perfect. They are looking for real. They want someone to look them in the eye and say, "I have been there, and Jesus brought me through." Your pain has a purpose. Your tears are not wasted. God can take the hardest chapters of your life and turn them into a lifeline for someone else. Do not be so quick to bury what He may want to use.
Bible Verse: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." - Jeremiah 33:3 (King James Version (KJV))
Reflection Question: Is there a painful experience in your past that you have never considered could be used by God to help someone else?
Quote: "God never wastes a hurt. He never wastes a sorrow."
Prayer: Father, thank You that You do not waste my pain. Give me the courage to let You use my story for Your glory and for the good of others. Amen.
Devotional: There are seasons of life that feel like pure loss. Depression. Heartbreak. Failure. Addiction. In the middle of those storms, it is hard to imagine that anything good could come from the pain. But God does not waste a single hurt. He is not careless with your suffering. In fact, the very thing you have walked through may be the exact thing that qualifies you to reach someone still in the middle of it. Think about that for a moment. Your story, the parts you are most tempted to hide, could be the very thing that opens a door for someone else. People are not looking for perfect. They are looking for real. They want someone to look them in the eye and say, "I have been there, and Jesus brought me through." Your pain has a purpose. Your tears are not wasted. God can take the hardest chapters of your life and turn them into a lifeline for someone else. Do not be so quick to bury what He may want to use.
Bible Verse: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." - Jeremiah 33:3 (King James Version (KJV))
Reflection Question: Is there a painful experience in your past that you have never considered could be used by God to help someone else?
Quote: "God never wastes a hurt. He never wastes a sorrow."
Prayer: Father, thank You that You do not waste my pain. Give me the courage to let You use my story for Your glory and for the good of others. Amen.
Day 3: You Have Something to Offer
Devotional: It is easy to look around at others and feel like you have nothing to contribute. Maybe you cannot sing. Maybe you have never preached a sermon. Maybe you feel like the least important person in the room. But God did not design the church to run on the gifts of a few. He designed it to run on the gifts of everyone. Every single believer has been given a skill set, a story, and a calling. The question is not whether you have something to offer. The question is whether you are willing to use it. The boy in John 6 did not have much. But he had something, and he gave it. That act of simple obedience changed everything for thousands of people that day. You may not see how your particular gift fits into the bigger picture. That is okay. God sees it. Your job is to show up, stay faithful, and trust Him with the results. Faithfulness in small things is always the starting point for greater things.
Bible Verse: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." - Matthew 5:6 (King James Version (KJV))
Reflection Question: What gift, skill, or experience has God placed in your life that you have not yet fully offered to Him or to others?
Quote: "You may not be able to sing in a choir. You may not be able to preach. You may not be able to play an instrument. But God has given you a skill set for you to use for the kingdom of God."
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to the gifts You have placed in me. Give me the courage to use them faithfully, trusting that You will do more with them than I ever could on my own. Amen.
Devotional: It is easy to look around at others and feel like you have nothing to contribute. Maybe you cannot sing. Maybe you have never preached a sermon. Maybe you feel like the least important person in the room. But God did not design the church to run on the gifts of a few. He designed it to run on the gifts of everyone. Every single believer has been given a skill set, a story, and a calling. The question is not whether you have something to offer. The question is whether you are willing to use it. The boy in John 6 did not have much. But he had something, and he gave it. That act of simple obedience changed everything for thousands of people that day. You may not see how your particular gift fits into the bigger picture. That is okay. God sees it. Your job is to show up, stay faithful, and trust Him with the results. Faithfulness in small things is always the starting point for greater things.
Bible Verse: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." - Matthew 5:6 (King James Version (KJV))
Reflection Question: What gift, skill, or experience has God placed in your life that you have not yet fully offered to Him or to others?
Quote: "You may not be able to sing in a choir. You may not be able to preach. You may not be able to play an instrument. But God has given you a skill set for you to use for the kingdom of God."
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to the gifts You have placed in me. Give me the courage to use them faithfully, trusting that You will do more with them than I ever could on my own. Amen.
Day 4: A Funnel, Not a Barrel
Devotional: There is a temptation in the Christian life to receive and hold. We receive grace, blessing, and community, and then we settle in and get comfortable. But God never designed us to be a place where things stop. He designed us to be a place where things flow through. A barrel holds. A funnel passes along. God blesses the open hand, the surrendered life, the person who is always looking for someone else to pour into. This is how the church grows. Not by a few people doing everything, but by every person finding their place and serving faithfully. Every guest needs to be known. Every attendee needs to be connected. Every member needs to be serving. When that happens, the kingdom moves forward in ways that no single person could accomplish alone. Serving is not optional. It is the natural response of a life that has been changed by Jesus. If He has done something in you, He wants to do something through you. Stop holding it in. Let it flow.
Bible Verse: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33 (King James Version (KJV))
Reflection Question: In what area of your life are you acting more like a barrel than a funnel, holding onto what God has given you rather than passing it along?
Quote: "God called us not to be a barrel, but to be a funnel."
Prayer: God, help me to live with an open hand. Remind me daily that everything I have comes from You, and give me a generous heart that pours into others freely. Amen.
Devotional: There is a temptation in the Christian life to receive and hold. We receive grace, blessing, and community, and then we settle in and get comfortable. But God never designed us to be a place where things stop. He designed us to be a place where things flow through. A barrel holds. A funnel passes along. God blesses the open hand, the surrendered life, the person who is always looking for someone else to pour into. This is how the church grows. Not by a few people doing everything, but by every person finding their place and serving faithfully. Every guest needs to be known. Every attendee needs to be connected. Every member needs to be serving. When that happens, the kingdom moves forward in ways that no single person could accomplish alone. Serving is not optional. It is the natural response of a life that has been changed by Jesus. If He has done something in you, He wants to do something through you. Stop holding it in. Let it flow.
Bible Verse: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33 (King James Version (KJV))
Reflection Question: In what area of your life are you acting more like a barrel than a funnel, holding onto what God has given you rather than passing it along?
Quote: "God called us not to be a barrel, but to be a funnel."
Prayer: God, help me to live with an open hand. Remind me daily that everything I have comes from You, and give me a generous heart that pours into others freely. Amen.
Day 5: Bring It to the Table
Devotional: Over these past few days, we have seen a simple but powerful truth. God takes what we surrender and does more with it than we ever imagined. A boy's small lunch. A shepherd's sling. A prophet's tears. None of it looked like enough. All of it was used by God. Now comes the moment of decision. Whatever you have been holding back, it is time to bring it to the table. Your time. Your talent. Your story. Your pain. Your prayers. All of it. Prayer is not a last resort. It is the first response of a person who knows they cannot do this alone. And serving is not something you get around to eventually. It is the calling of every believer, starting now. Jesus still saves. He still redeems. He still takes broken, ordinary things and makes them into something beautiful. The only question left is whether you are willing to let Him do that with your life. Bring what you have. Trust who He is. And watch what He does.
Bible Verse: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." - Jeremiah 33:3 (King James Version (KJV))
Reflection Question: What is one specific, practical step you can take this week to surrender something to God that you have been holding back?
Quote: "Little is much when God is in it. A little goes a long way when God is in it."
Prayer: Lord, here I am. I bring You everything I have been holding back, and I trust You to do more with it than I ever could. Use my life for Your glory. Amen.
Devotional: Over these past few days, we have seen a simple but powerful truth. God takes what we surrender and does more with it than we ever imagined. A boy's small lunch. A shepherd's sling. A prophet's tears. None of it looked like enough. All of it was used by God. Now comes the moment of decision. Whatever you have been holding back, it is time to bring it to the table. Your time. Your talent. Your story. Your pain. Your prayers. All of it. Prayer is not a last resort. It is the first response of a person who knows they cannot do this alone. And serving is not something you get around to eventually. It is the calling of every believer, starting now. Jesus still saves. He still redeems. He still takes broken, ordinary things and makes them into something beautiful. The only question left is whether you are willing to let Him do that with your life. Bring what you have. Trust who He is. And watch what He does.
Bible Verse: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." - Jeremiah 33:3 (King James Version (KJV))
Reflection Question: What is one specific, practical step you can take this week to surrender something to God that you have been holding back?
Quote: "Little is much when God is in it. A little goes a long way when God is in it."
Prayer: Lord, here I am. I bring You everything I have been holding back, and I trust You to do more with it than I ever could. Use my life for Your glory. Amen.
