“For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.” John 5:46 (ESV)

I love those times when the Lord proves, again and again, His Word is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword”. (Heb. 4:12 ) Last week studying John 5 was certainly one of those times.

Jesus had just healed the 38-year-old lame man who was lying by the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. As usual, the angry Jewish leaders weighed religious rules heavier than healing, especially from a man who equates himself with God. 

In the next thirty verses (John 5:17-47), Jesus tries to reach their unbelieving hearts by revealing who He is in the Father, how They together are always working (Sabbath or not), and what plans God has for Him as Judge.

And then He took it a step further as He disclosed how they seemed to miss all the witnesses of Him who had exclaimed His equality with God up until that very moment. 

The very last witness He mentions is Moses: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.” John 5:46 (ESV)

As I read the last five little words, they jumped right off the page and landed deep in my heart.

“…for he wrote of me.”

Jesus

As a writer, I let that sink in for a moment. When I think of Moses, I often see him in his role as leader of the Israelites. But yes… he was a writer too.

And those five small, yet powerful words revealed the precious heart of Jesus. A heart that says He sees what we do for Him even when someone doesn’t spiritually digest it.

Most likely you’re not a writer like me, but God’s Word says you do have at least one spiritual gift. 1 Pet. 4:10 (NLT)

Yet, here’s what I’ve realized through the years from talking with others.

1. Some people feel God didn’t give them a spiritual gift.
2. If they do recognize their gift, they downplay it as they compare it to the gifts of other Christians (and here’s where I raise my hand to say… yep that’s me from time to time).

But God knows my weaknesses and this is the message He was speaking to me in the midst of these passages…

We all have different spiritual gifts. But when we’re obedient to use them, we ignite the powerful light of Jesus into this dark world.

Because our world’s standard screams for big and showy. And sometimes our calling does put us out in front of the world, but quite often it’s in our day-to-day moments, in the quiet, or even goes completely unnoticed by others.

And that’s when it’s easy to buy the lie of the enemy who tends to make us feel less than someone else who has more exposure.

Friend, don’t downplay the precious gift He’s given you.

It doesn't matter if you're holding babies in the nursery or lifting hands in praise in the sanctuary.
It doesn't matter if you're encouraging your following on social media or welcoming people at church.
It doesn't matter if you're speaking at Christian conferences or quietly praying for the lost in bed at night. 
 
It doesn't matter if you're working behind the scenes or singing on stage in the praise team.  
It doesn't matter if you're taking the gospel abroad or staying local in your small town. 
It doesn't matter if you're a stay-at-home mom raising kids in Jesus or reaching co-workers at the office.

It doesn't matter if you're serving meals in a soup kitchen or you're taking a meal to one lonely widow. 
It doesn't matter if you're mowing the church lawn or cleaning the toilets.
It doesn't matter if He's called you to evangelize to several or simply reach the one.

So what does matter in this life? Jesus seeing you walk in humble obedience in what He’s called you to do whether big, small, seen, or unseen.

And He knows even in our obedience that we won’t always reach the hard-hearted, the critics, and the skeptics. Moses couldn’t and neither can we.

But He also knows each and every heart we will reach. And that is what should drive our obedience.

I want nothing more than to picture Jesus whispering, “She wrote of me” to His Father on the throne in heaven.

And I want the same for you with your spiritual gift… “She _________ of me.”

So what will your fill-in-the-blank say? Will it say… She cooked for me, She sang for me, She cleaned for me, She spoke of me, She raised little ones in me…?

Friends, when we work within our gift, we too are witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ. And no matter how you deem your gift, whether big or small, remember it’s always a win-win for Jesus and it matters not only to His precious heart but the precious hearts we will reach.

Dear God, I pray You touch the heart of the girl who says today that You forgot to give her a gift in this life. I pray for the one who feels her gift isn't good enough as she compares herself to others. You know I sometimes feel this too. God please open our eyes to see how You take us ordinary girls saved by Your grace and give us a purpose to reach the hearts of those You put in our lives. And together, in that grace, we can do mighty powerful works for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.