Don't Discount the Lesser Story

 

By Maureen Miller

 

“What difference do my words make?” Have you ever asked this—feeling your story is less than? Your writing isn’t impacting the world? The kingdom?

 

Perhaps you’re not yet published. Haven’t written your book, not even an article. You believe there’s a story inside you—words to be written for a broader audience. Thoughts to be penned for the masses. Transformative ideas that could change lives, if only you could get them… out there.

 

I was recently struck by two somewhat similar stories in the Bible, both having to do with water. Both involving a miracle. Each with lasting impact for those at the water’s edge, as well as for those reading these narratives generations later.

 

One incident is monumental, with more than one Hollywood blockbuster movie made about it and superstars like Charlton Heston depicting its hero.

 

But the other? To my knowledge, no one has filmed a remake of this miracle, nor has anyone written a screenplay highlighting this event. Even after reading the Bible for years, familiar with many of the stories from childhood, it wasn’t until I was an adult that this particular story piqued my attention. Still, without doubt, it’s powerful. And perhaps, for writers, more impactful than the first.

 

What are these biblical accounts?

 

The more well-known of the two you’ve likely guessed, having heard it from childhood. After all, it’s included in every well-known Bible storybook with captivating illustrations depicting the parting of the Red Sea, with towering walls of water and a dry path down the middle.

 

As a girl, I recall asking my daddy, “What if the water comes crashing down on all those people while they cross?”

His answer brought peace. “God commanded the waters to part, then called His children to walk through on dry land. They obeyed because they trusted Him, having witnessed the miracle of the Red Sea.” And that was enough. I took Daddy at his word.

 

Of course, this harrowing tale holds deep spiritual truths. Like my father encouraged, The Israelites witnessed a miracle and obeyed. And we should too, no matter what that means or what action it requires, with regard to our writing or otherwise.

 

But what about the lesser-known event?

 

Unlike the first, more popular story where God did a miracle and then His kids stepped onto what had been the ocean floor, this second biblical occurrence required something more.

 

God’s children prepare to cross the Jordan River, literally stepping toward the Promised Land on the other side. A man named Joshua is also about to take a step, figuratively speaking, and God confirms this. “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses” (Joshua 3:7 NLT).

 

But unlike Moses and the Red Sea miracle, in Joshua’s account, God doesn’t part the waters of the rushing Jordan. Rather, He tells Joshua what to say, and he obeys, instructing the Israelites, “As soon as [the priests’] feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall” (3:13).

 

Did you catch that? Unlike the fleeing Hebrews in Exodus who witnessed God’s miracle, then stepped onto dry land, the priests were told to step into the overflowing Jordan to then witness the miracle.

 

And that, friends, was a step of great faith—but in doing so, these precious people took hold of their purpose: to claim the Promised Land.

 

So, us too, dear writers. If God has called us to write, then He has a purpose for each of our words—whether tucked in journals, penned on paper, sent to encourage a Compassion child or prisoner, or in simple devotions printed for church newsletters.

 

Don’t underestimate the power of your words, wherever—however—God will use them. Instead, trust Him for their outcome, for their reach. Yes, for their ripple effect.

 

After all, though one hasn’t yet received the miracle of, for example, a publishing contract, don’t forget that sometimes the lesser-known stories teach the greatest lessons. As writers, we—like Moses and Joshua—are mighty leaders, guiding readers to … the Promised Land.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Maureen Miller—wife, mother of three, and Mosie to three—lives on Selah Farm, a hobby homestead nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina. With a passion for God’s Word, Maureen is an award-winning author and photographer, contributing as a guest blogger and to several online devotion sites, as well as to a variety of collaboratives. She prays to have eyes and ears open that she might experience God in the miracles of His created world and blogs weekly about what He has to say at www.penningpansies.com. She is the author of Gideon’s Book.