When the Hand of the Lord Moves

Reflection

Have you ever worked hard on something and it still produced nothing at all? I remember planting zucchini one year and being so proud of how the plant was growing. The leaves were huge and beautiful, the flowers were bright and full of promise, and I thought for sure I would see fruit. But nothing ever came. I watered it, tended it, watched it, and even hoped over it, but no zucchini ever grew.

Sometimes life feels the same way. You pour your heart into something and see no results. Maybe it is your family or friends who do not know the Lord. You have prayed, preached, cried, and pleaded, yet nothing seems to change. You put in the effort, but the outcome does not look any different.

Acts 11 shows us something important. The believers preached the Lord Jesus, but verse 21 tells us why the work bore fruit. It was the hand of the Lord that moved. It was His power that took their words and produced a harvest. His grace fell on the people and hearts turned to Him. The believers were faithful, but God brought the increase.

Sometimes the harvest is great, like in this passage. Other times it is quiet and slow. It might be the neighbor down the street who finally softens after years of conversations. It might be a child who remembers what you taught them ten years later. It might be a moment that seems small to you but becomes life changing for someone else. The hand of the Lord is never weak, and when He is at work, something always happens, even if we cannot see it yet.

Let this encourage you. Your labor in the Lord is not wasted. Your prayers reach His ears. Your words are not forgotten. Trust His hand, not your own strength. He is the one who moves hearts, opens eyes, and brings life where there was none.