When You're in a Small Boat in a Big Sea

If you're just joining us, go back and listen to yesterday's devotional on Shamgar: the guy who only got two verses in the Bible. Shamgar was a nobody who was used by God to make a big difference, back when there was a lot of lawlessness in Israel. The needs around Shamgar were great: people didn't have security, there was no peace, and the vulnerable were exploited. I'm sure he was overwhelmed.

You know, we easily get overwhelmed when we look at all the needs around us. For example, I drive by a cancer treatment center every day that has a full parking lot of patients. As a pastor, I encounter at least one death a week, or someone who was just diagnosed with a terminal illness, or another who just lost their job. If it wasn't for Jesus, I couldn't keep going! It's just too overwhelming.

In this crazy world of chaos, I’m reminded of the plaque on President John F. Kennedy’s desk in the Oval Office that said, “O God, Thy sea is so great, and my boat is so small.” But, in his little boat, Shamgar knew that God was Lord over the sea, and that He was in control, and he did what God wanted him to do.

That's why Shamgar is a good example for you and me. See, he started right where he was, used what he had, and did what he could. It says in the book of Judges that in the days of Shamgar, everybody was doing "whatever seemed right in their own eyes" (21:25). Instead of being like everybody else, Shamgar made a decision to make a difference.

He didn’t wait for the right day. He didn’t wait for everything to fall into place. He was just a man who saw a need, and he took what he had, and he did what he could. Someone once said "do for the one what you wish you could do for everyone." With Jesus, see the one today and make a difference for His sake!