Devotion Written By Dianna Hobbs // Your Daily Cup of Inspiration

The weather here in Buffalo, NY, has been confusing me lately. I have lived here most of my life, and it is uncharacteristically warm outside. Today, for instance, the forecast is calling for a high of around 60 degrees.

Those are springtime temperatures!

Heading into November, I would expect it to be a lot colder. In fact, I would normally anticipate snowfall soon. We are a month away from Thanksgiving, and it feels more like mid-April or early May here.

My thoughts about the atypical climate where I live were sparked as I was reading a Bible story in 1 Samuel 12. The prophet Samuel was old and nearing death. Before passing on, God used Him to scold the children of Israel for requesting a king in order to be like all the other nations.

God was already their King, and He had done amazing things for them that no human monarch could replicate. Why did they want someone other than Him to rule over them?

Well, to help them see the error of their ways, Samuel called upon the Lord for a sign to prove that Israel had made a terrible blunder in asking for an earthly king. In verses 16-17, Samuel said, “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain.”

It would be unusual for there to be any rain in Israel during wheat harvest season, which was in May and June annually. During this time of year, the weather was dry, so Samuel was asking God to do something out of the ordinary to make a point to His rebellious people.

Even though the likelihood of anything like that happening was slim to none, Samuel believed God would show off His majesty, and do this “great thing” among Israel. According to verse 18, “Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.”

“You will stand in awe of what the Lord does next, but it won’t be at all what you were expecting!”

— Dianna Hobbs

What a way to show Israel that the true King, God, was all they would ever need, right? God revealed His power over nature as He had already done in times past.

Reading about this remind us that God is not controlled or confined by natural seasons. He controls and determines the times and seasons. He can cause rain to fall in your dry place. He can give you abundance in a season of lack. He can heal your body after doctors say your condition is terminal. He can save someone when everyone else agrees that person is beyond hope. There is nothing too hard for God.

Friend, God does not want us to search for manmade solutions and forget about His power. Through this cup of inspiration, the Master is reminding you that, no matter what it looks like, your circumstances, seasons, and conditions do not limit His power. Just as He did unusual things in Bible days for the glory of His name, He is going to do unusual things for you.

Just remain open and flexible. Let God do things His way. The route might be unconventional, but if you trust Him, He’ll open the floodgates of Heaven. He’ll send rain in the middle of your dry season and give you an amazing harvest in a time of famine.

As Jeremiah 32:27 asks, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?”

No, there isn’t anything too hard for Him. Keeping that in mind, get your expectation up. Expect God to bless you in an unusual, unexpected, unconventional, unlikely way, so His name will be glorified.

To help you expect the unexpected, I’m stirring the latter half of Isaiah 28:21 CEV, right into your cup of inspiration, which says, “But this time the LORD will do something surprising, not what you expect.”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, prepare to be surprised and in awe. Take it from me; what God does will leave you scratching your head in amazement and saying, nobody could have done this thing but God!

Now, let’s pray.

God, I open my heart and mind to receive whatever You want to do, however You want to do it. I trust Your all-sufficient power, and I know You will provide everything I need. Forever, You’re my King. In Jesus’ name, Amen.