The Fast: DAY 11
Wednesday, January 14
Zecharaiah 4:10 (NLT)
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the LORD that search all around the world.)”
Devotion
There are moments in our fasting journey when it feels like nothing is changing. We pray. We sacrifice. We press in. Yet day one looks like day two, and day three feels the same. But Scripture reminds us not to despise small beginnings, because heaven never does.
In 1 Kings 18, Elisha and his servant were believing God for rain after a long drought. When the servant first looked toward the horizon, there was nothing. Elisha told him to go back, again and again. On the seventh time, the servant finally saw something: a cloud no bigger than a man’s hand. It didn’t look like rain. It didn’t sound like a breakthrough. But Elisha knew—this small sign was evidence that God was already moving.
That tiny cloud was not the miracle in its fullness; it was the promise of what was coming. Soon after, the sky grew dark, the winds rose, and the floodgates of heaven opened. What started small ended in abundance.
During his message on Sunday, Pastor Franklin encouraged us not to give up. Change may not happen on day one, day two, or even day three, but the Lord is working. Just because you don’t see the full manifestation yet doesn’t mean heaven is silent. God often starts small so we learn to walk by faith, not by sight.
Every prayer you pray, every meal you skip, every moment you surrender, God sees it all. He rejoices in the beginning. That small “cloud” you’re sensing may be the first sign that breakthrough is on the way.
So don’t quit. Don’t grow weary. Don’t despise what looks small. The same God who sent the cloud is the God who sends the rain.
Today's Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me trust You in the small beginnings. Strengthen my faith when I don’t yet see the full breakthrough. I choose to believe that You are working, even now. I will not give up, because You are faithful. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Apply It Today
Today, identify one “small sign” of God’s work in your life, an answered prayer, a shift in your attitude, renewed peace, or fresh hope. Write it down and thank God for it. Commit to continuing the fast with expectation, declaring out loud: “This is just the beginning. God is working, and the rain is coming.”
Resources
- Watch our message “God's Tiny Details” and be inspired to trust that God’s blessings often start small, but He’s already at work bringing them to fullness.
- What would it look like to praise God before the rain falls? Listen to “Same God” by Elevation Worship and praise God for His faithfulness.
Join The Fast