Trusting God in the Small Things

The Parable of the Hidden Spring

In a small village nestled between two great hills, there lived a people who depended on a mighty river for their water. The river flowed strong and wide, providing for their crops, their livestock, and their families. But one year, a drought came upon the land. The river shrank to a trickle, and the villagers grew desperate. They cried out to God, “Lord, why have you taken our water from us? How shall we live?”

Among them was a young woman named Miriam, known for her quiet faith. One night, as she prayed, she heard a gentle voice say, “Seek the hidden spring.” Puzzled but trusting, Miriam rose at dawn and walked beyond the village, past the dry riverbed, to a rocky outcrop no one had ever bothered to explore. There, beneath a pile of stones, she found a small, clear spring bubbling up from the earth. It was not grand like the river, but it was steady and pure.

Miriam ran back to the village and told the elders, “God has shown me a hidden spring! It’s small, but it can sustain us.” The elders scoffed. “A spring? We need a river! This cannot be God’s answer.” But the children and a few others followed Miriam. They drank from the spring, and it refreshed them. Day by day, they carried water back to the village, sharing it with whoever would accept it.

As weeks passed, the spring never failed, while the river remained dry. Slowly, more villagers came to the spring, humbled by its quiet provision. The crops began to grow again, and the people praised God—not for restoring the river, but for revealing what had been hidden all along.

One day, an old man asked Miriam, “Why did God not simply fill the river again?” She smiled and said, “The river was a gift we took for granted. The spring is a gift we had to seek. Through it, God taught us to trust Him in the small things, for even the smallest blessing can sustain us.”

Key Teaching:

God often provides for us in ways we don’t expect, and His blessings may seem small or hidden at first. True faith trusts in His provision, no matter how it appears.

Scriptural Connection:

Matthew 6:26 – “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

1 Kings 17:4-6 – God provided for Elijah with ravens bringing him bread and meat during a drought, a small but miraculous sustenance.

Explanation:

In the story, the villagers were fixated on the river—the big, obvious source of life they’d always known. When it dried up, they panicked, assuming God had abandoned them. But God hadn’t left them; He provided a hidden spring instead. Miriam’s faith led her to seek and trust God’s voice, even when the solution didn’t look impressive. The lesson here is that God’s provision doesn’t always come in the grand ways we expect. Sometimes, it’s in the quiet, humble things—a kind word, a small opportunity, a moment of peace—that He sustains us.

This mirrors real life: we might pray for a huge breakthrough, but God might give us just enough strength for today. The villagers learned gratitude and dependence on God through the spring, much like we grow spiritually when we trust Him in the “small things.” The story also reflects a biblical truth: God often uses the overlooked or underestimated (like David the shepherd boy or the mustard seed) to reveal His power and love.

Application:

When you face a challenge, don’t despise the small answers or provisions God sends. Seek Him faithfully, trust His timing, and be grateful for what He provides, even if it’s not what you imagined. Like Miriam, listen to His voice and act in faith—He will sustain you.