When I was in graduate school, my family and I moved into family housing. Family housing was a trailer park, where we bought a trailer. This was a cost-effective venture, but meant that my wife, Krista, and I were responsible for the trailers upkeep. This was fine and good until our hot water heater went out and it was our responsibility to fix it. We had very little money, so paying someone to replace it was not an option. We sifted some cash from our tight budget and were able to purchase the heater. I found a gentleman at the local hardware store who generously offered his counsel, which I took him up on throughout the three visits back to the store that day (plumbing job!). The first miracle was that, after putting it in, it worked. The second miracle came later that day when Krista checked the mail. In the mail, that very day was a letter and check from the missions committee from a church in Michigan where Krista grew up. Inside the letter, the team let us know that they were running a surplus in their budget, and as they prayed, asking God what to do with the excess, the Lord brought us to mind. The check they sent was for the amount we had spent on the hot water heater. Tears flowed from our eyes as we gathered our children and together thanked God for His faithfulness to us.
God brought the miracles and did so through others as conduits of His blessing. A quick glance reveals that the gentleman at the hardware store was used by God to minister to me. I could not have put in the hot water heater without his guidance. The church in Michigan was a conduit of God’s blessing as they sent us a generous gift, not knowing how badly we needed it. The people who had given faithfully to that church were conduits of God’s blessing. Without their generosity, there would not have been a surplus in the missions budget nor the resulting gift to us. God provided these miracles, but, as He often does, He used people to conduits of His blessing.
In Ruth 2:14-23, we discover that the Lord uses a man by the name of Boaz to be a blessing to Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. We find out in this passage that Boaz goes above and beyond the Old Testament Law’s requirement of caring for those in need. In fact, he not only provides Ruth the opportunity to gather the food needed for her and Naomi but made it extremely easy and very productive. Boaz exhibited a kind of generosity modeled after God’s generosity.
I am reminded that you and I may be the only Jesus people will ever see. Therefore, we ought not to simply sit back and pray for others to be blessed, we need to be open for the Lord to use us as an instrument in their blessing. The simple truth is that we are to pray for God’s blessing on others, but we also need to be open to being conduits of God’s blessing for others.
Boaz’s generousness reflects these words from Edward Everett Hale:
“I am only one,
But still, I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”
Imagine what our homes, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces – our region would experience as we place ourselves in God’s hands; being used as conduits of His blessing. I believe miracles would abound, and God would be glorified, we would be blessed, and others would benefit, perhaps in coming to know Christ.
I feel so privileged to serve Christ with each of you. As we seek to know God and make Him know, let us encourage one another to be open to being used by God as conduits of His blessing. God is a miracle working God, and He often uses people like you and me to bring those miracles to others. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone!)