The Butterfly Effect
Have you heard about the butterfly effect? In physics, it
describes how tiny changes in initial conditions (such as the flap of a
butterfly's wings) can affect weather thousands of miles away. Imagine-- a
fragile butterfly can alter weather patterns on another continent! Had it not
flapped its wings, the trajectory of the weather system might have been vastly
different. What can you learn from this? You may feel insignificant at times, as
fragile as the butterfly. It may seem like you're just flapping your wings when
you are standing alone for truth and honestly in the workplace or the home. You
say, "What can I do in the face of a problem this big?" More than you think!
Your faith, your words, your deeds, your prayers, your example, your kindness
and persistence, can release the power of God and activate the forces of heaven
to go to work in that situation. God loves to use things that we consider to be
insignificant, like Moses' rod which parted the Red Sea, or David's slingshot
that brought down a giant, or a boy's lunch that fed a multitude. Your flapping
wings can initiate changes that will influence lives around you for all
eternity. Jesus said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this
mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be
impossible for you" (Mt 17:20 NKJV). It's not about the size of the seed you
sow, but about the God Who can make it grow. It's not about the prayer you pray, but about the
greatness of One Who answers prayers.
Undeserved Grace
Read Genesis 42:1 through 44:34
On March 8, 2009, a man walked into the First Baptist Church of Maryville, Illinois, and shot and killed Pastor Fred Winters. His family and church were in shock.
CBS News interviewed Pastor Winters’ wife, Cindy, the next week regarding her husband’s assailant. What type of a reaction would she have? She said, “I do not have any hatred, or even hard feelings towards him. We have been praying for him. One of the first things that my daughter said to me after this happened was, ‘You know, I hope that he comes to learn to love Jesus through all of this.’ ” What an example of grace!
Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him (Genesis 42:8).
Joseph was in a position to get revenge on his brothers, but he showed them grace instead. He recognized God’s hand at work through the circumstances of his life and so could forgive what his brothers had done to him.
No one expects this type of grace from people who have been greatly harmed by others. Only through knowing a God of grace is it possible to extend such grace.
Challenge for Today: Are you showing others the grace God has shown you?
Quicklook: Genesis 42:6–18
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