Tiny Termites

Bible Reading: John 6:5-13; Colossians 3:23-24

“I wish I could help!” Lana said as she watched her older brother and sister

get ready for the high school service project. They were going to pass out food at the local food pantry.

“You did help,” Mom told Lana. “You took cans of food to your Sunday school class—cans you bought yourself by doing extra chores around the house.”

Lana frowned. “That’s not a big deal.”

“Yes, it is,” said Dad. “If nobody donated food, Isaiah and Natalie wouldn’t have anything to pass out.”

Lana rode along when Dad took Isaiah and Natalie to church that afternoon. “Looks like they’re knocking the old Paulson house down,” Dad said as they drove down the street. “I knew someone bought the place and that it needed repair. I wonder why they don’t just fix it up.”

“I heard that it was full of termites,” said Isaiah. “I guess it was so bad they couldn’t do anything with it.”

“What are termites?” asked Lana.

“Termites are insects,” Natalie told her. “They kind of look like ants.”

“Ants?” Lana looked at the house as they drove by. “They’re taking down that whole big building just because of tiny little ants?”

“Termites are about the size of ants, but they eat wood,” Dad explained. “When a lot of them eat at a building for a long time, they ruin the beams that support the building, and it becomes unsafe.”

“Yeah, and it can cost more to fix it than to tear it down and start over,” said Isaiah.

“Wow,” said Lana. “I didn’t know something so small could destroy something so big.”

“Yes, small things can make a big difference,” said Dad. “And that applies to good things too—like cans of food.” He smiled at Lana. “I know you don’t think donating cans was a big deal, but it’s a big deal to Jesus. You did it for Him because you care about the people He loves. And when we do something for Jesus—no matter how small—He uses our efforts to do big things. Tiny termites can destroy a house, but the small things we do for Jesus do just the opposite—He uses them to build His kingdom and show people how much He loves them.” – Hazel W. Marett

How About You?

Do you think the ways you help are so small that they don’t really matter? In today’s Bible passage, five loaves and two fish didn’t sound like much, but a little boy gave them to Jesus anyway—and Jesus used them to do something huge that blessed many people. When you do something for Jesus, He’ll bless what you do for Him. No effort is too small.

Today’s Key Verse:
Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever work you do, do it with all your heart…You are working for the Lord Christ. (NLV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Small efforts matter to Jesus