Beach Reach Devotional | Monday
Hey y’all! Ellen here (some of you don’t know me, that’s okay too). I am sad to not be on the island with you this year, but am praying that this week would be a time where you love Jesus more deeply and share His love with those around you.
Getting to the island can bring up a lot of emotions. For some of you, you’ve done this before. You know the rhythms of Beach Reach, you have a framework for the different ways you will serve throughout the week, and you feel like you know what to expect out of conversations with people. Some of you are here for the first time and might be feeling some mixture of hopeful anticipation and anxiety. Either way, the Lord is with you. Draw near to him.
An encouragement to you going into this week can be found in Paul’s words to the church at Corinth (a church that was tempted to divide over ministry and prideful comparison, something always to be on guard against):
“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (go back and read the whole chapter later!)
Some of you will be a part of planting gospel seeds in the form of verbally sharing the message of Jesus with people on the island. Some of you will be tasked with watering that seed by answering hard questions, serving pancakes in the name of Jesus, being a shoulder to cry on, or just being a friend to someone. But ultimately, in every case, it is God who gives the growth. Those of us who plant and those of us who water aren’t anything though, we’re simply “servants through whom [they] believe.” So humbly walk forward in the work God has for you today, no matter what it is. Because we can trust that He’s already on the move in people’s lives and doing the work. We get to come along for the ride as “God’s fellow workers”, and what a privilege is that!??
Some questions to think or journal through:
What are some aspects of God’s character that I can trust in this week? Take some time to think on His character and praise who He is.
What am I hoping for or hoping in going into this week?
Am I relying more on myself (skills, experiences, etc.) than I am on Jesus? Am I okay with being a servant of God? A fellow worker who takes no credit for the outcome? Confess where you’re at with that to him and ask for a greater dependency on him.
Do I believe that it is God who gives the growth (and that he’ll actually give it)? Ask him for faith and trust in him.
Take a moment to listen to Yet not I but through Christ in Me and worship Jesus.