Understanding our personal assignments from God requires our ability to fully comprehend that every assignment begins with our first step.  To highlight this concept, I’m using the illustration of the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet called the “yud.”  The “yud” is the tenth letter in the Hebrew alphabet and is an Hebraic picture of a hand.

Though the “yud” is the smallest of the Hebrew letters, it is the first letter in the name Jehovah.  The name Jesus (the Name above all names) begins with the “yud.”  One of the words for praise, yadah, begins with the “yud.”  I recommend that we all open a concordance and search for words that begin with the “yud.”  We may well have the Spirit of the LORD reveal how powerful small can be.  The creator of the universe begins his Name with the smallest of letters, a letter no bigger than an apostrophe or comma.

What does all this have to do with our personal assignment?  From this day forward, we can begin with the one small action (step) that prepares the way for each proceeding step we must take to reach our God-ordained destinies.  Every day of our life contains instructions and clues from the LORD with the information we need in order to take the next accurate step.

God gives us one set of instructions at a time.  As I remember my earlier years walking with the Lord, I remember wanting the whole story book at once.  This can, and often did cause me great frustration.  I had to learn that it was not just instruction and the next step that I needed, but the continuous, daily flow of instruction available to me while spending quality time in His presence.  As I learned this discipline, many doors began to open for me, and they are still opening today.  Please be encouraged; this principle applies to ALL His children.

The book of Acts, Chapter 8, is a prime example of a step-by- step process in the life of the Deacon/Evangelist Phillip.  Because of persecution, Phillip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ. (Acts 8:5)  During a great revival, the Spirit of the LORD spoke to Phillip and said, “Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.” (Acts 8:26)

For Phillip to stay in tune with his assignment, he needed to hear the Spirit speak.  He had to diligently listen and be willing to take the next step.  He was in a great revival where miracles were being performed; unclean spirits were coming out of the possessed, and the lame and the sick were being healed.  The Spirit speaks and tells him he is to go to the desert.  Phillip did not judge himself as one any more important than God’s direction nor did he think that he was the “star” of the revival, so he was able to and chose to quickly obey.

As Phillip took one step forward in his assignment, he found himself in the presence of a man of great authority from Ethiopia.  The man was in charge of all of the treasury of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians. (Acts 8:27)  (Never despise the small step of instruction.)

Please note, Phillip was summoned to the desert.  No one knew where he was but God.  Because of Phillip’s obedience to go to the desert, the Spirit met him and spoke again, telling him exactly what to do, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.” (Acts 8:29)   Phillip went from the desert to being the voice commissioned to speak to one of the most important men in Ethiopia.  Phillip was able to lead this high ranking official to the LORD Jesus Christ and to baptize him.  After the baptism, the Spirit caught away (transported) Phillip.  He found himself in Azotus.  He was translated from the desert to another region and from there began to preach in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8:40)

Receiving daily instruction can be seen in the book of Exodus.  The Lord said to Moses, Behold, “I will rain bread from Heaven for you: the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or no.” (Exod. 16:4)  In Hebrew, to say “A certain rate every day,” means, “the instruction or word of the day.”As the story continues in Exodos 16, we see that the people would not obey the simple (small) instruction.  Exodos 16:21 tells us that when the sun waxed hot, the manna (provision) melted.  Through His Words, I believe the LORD is instructing us to be obedient quickly and immediately, otherwise the instructions and their subsequent benefits may be lost and “melt” away, perhaps lost forever.  To melt means to become worthless and faint away.  How many times does the Spirit speak and we either ignore His instruction, or we wait too long to obey and lose our blessing?  We can change, today!

Until we complete His first instruction, we do not qualify to receive the next instruction.  It’s not possible to be partially obedient and expect a full benefit.  Please refer to God’s instruction, “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” Isaiah 28:10

Thank you, Lord that you do reveal to us our assignment, step by step.  It is a divine progression. Today is the day to hear His voice and not harden our hearts. (Heb. 4:7)