Excerpt from THRIVE AND SURVIVE, ZERO TO FIVE

I (Margaret) used to be burdened by one particular verse in the Bible. As a young mother with no free time, it hung over me like a daily threat, and I felt I could never do what God was asking. Luke 12:48 says, “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return.” I knew I’d been given many blessings, so I also knew God required me to give much back. But I didn’t know how I could with the minimal time I had.

The children He’d given me—who were indeed great blessings—subtracted the time I thought I needed to have a healthy devotional life with God. But the exciting insight He provided was that since I hadn’t been “given much” in the way of extra time, God was not requiring much of my time in return. Understanding the verse in that flipped way released me from self-imposed pressure and evaporated the threat. Since I didn’t have much time during those busy days, He promised to take what little I offered and turn it into something powerful.

All the Lord wants from you is a small amount of daily movement toward Him. In return, He’ll share His wise counsel and meet your every need with fresh ideas and unexpected provisions. Complicated devotional times never work for young moms. But if you’re eager to communicate with Him, He’ll make a way. And as you take advantage of the bits of time you do have, remind yourself of the old adage that little becomes much when God is in it.

SIDEBAR: WHAT MAKES FOR GOOD DEVOTIONS?

• A bit of time
• An open Bible
• A tender heart
• A ready mind
• A willing spirit
• A reliance on God