Additional Biblical examples of the small beginning--

Nehemiah is one of the great heroes of Scripture. When we think of this Old Testament saint, we remember how against all odds he mobilized the remnant of Israel to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, then reestablished the city as the center of Jewish worship life. As spectacular as this undertaking was, it began with a quiet, unspectacular step by Nehemiah which no one else knew he had taken. He made an earnest prayer, asking God to bring about the restoration of Jerusalem and committing himself to obedience in the matter.

As the book of Nehemiah unfolds, it becomes clear that Nehemiah's prayer had several far-reaching results. For one, God answered the details of his prayer resoundingly, bringing speedy and triumphant success to the reconstruction effort. Yet through the process of expressing his concerns to God, Nehemiah himself became emotionally committed to the goal of restoring Jeruselem. Shortly after making the prayer, Nehemiah, who was the royal cupbearer, served wine to the king, not intending to share his concern about Jerusalem with him. The king, however, discerned from Nehemiah's countenance that something was troubling him and asked him about it. Since Nehemiah was now personally committed to Jerusalem's revival, he was able to seize the moment. He not only told the king of the need but made a specific request for assistance, which the king granted.

Nehemiah's example is one of the most helpful we find in Scripture of the effect that merely committing ourselves internally to a goal can have upon our reaching it. It demonstrates with equal force how a determined, heartfelt prayer can serve to inaugurate a goal. His example inspires us to see these private steps as crucial beginnings toward any purpose we wish to accomplish. Simply by setting our heart toward pursuing a dream and committing our concern sincerely to God, we are beginning from a position of strength in what we undertake.

Elijah's experience of burnout is an interesting example of how we can miss the small beginning that's available to us (1 Ki 19:1-8). Severely fatigued from a successful but exhausting confrontation with 400 prophets of Baal, Elijah is thrown into a frenzy by a mere death threat from queen Jezebel. There was little likelihood that Jezebel would have carried out her intimidation, and in a more coherent state Elijah would certainly have recognized this. Yet his apprehensions grew so out of hand that he fled to the desert for safety, abandoning his servant on the way. At this point his overwhelming anxiety, and his remorse over acting cowardly, led him to conclude that only a spectacular step could end his agony: suicide. He asked God to take his life.

In reality a much simpler step was needed to restore Elijah's emotional balance: food and rest. Fortunately God intervened, providing peaceful sleep and physical sustenance for the prophet. After two days of refreshing rest and relaxation, his motivation returned. Yet left to his own resources, Elijah would have missed this small beginning that saved both his life and ministry.

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