EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL
June 9, 2026

Topic: SMALL PROGRESS IS STILL PROGRESS

Opening Scripture

Zechariah 4:10

“For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.”

Memory Verse

Philippians 1:6

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Praise and Worship

Sing songs of thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness, growth, promotion, and divine help.

EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL: June 9, 2026 – Small Progress Is Still Progress

One of the greatest secrets to living a joyful Christian life is learning to appreciate every blessing God gives you, whether it appears small or great. A thankful heart will always see reasons to praise God, while an ungrateful heart will always find reasons to complain.

Many people are waiting for a major breakthrough before they decide to thank God. They tell themselves, “When I buy my house, I will rejoice.” “When I get married, I will be happy.” “When I become rich, I will thank God.” But God wants us to appreciate Him at every stage of our journey.

When you are contented with what you have, you will appreciate God for every win in your life, whether small or big. You will thank Him for the little salary, believing Him for a greater one. You will thank Him for the small business, believing Him for expansion.

You will thank Him for the one room apartment, believing Him for a better accommodation. Gratitude is the language of faith. Many people miss the joy of today because they are too focused on tomorrow. They fail to see what God has already done because they are worried about what He has not yet done. The danger of this attitude is that it can lead to frustration, blockage, complaining, and even envy.

The moment you begin to compare yourself with others, you will start looking down on your own achievements. The promotion that once made you happy will suddenly seem insignificant. The car you once thanked God for will suddenly look too small for you. The business God helped you start will suddenly appear too small.

Comparison has a way of stealing our joy and making God’s blessings appear insignificant. The truth is that what you call a small achievement may be a major testimony for another person. The job you complain about is the same kind of job somebody is praying for every night. The health you take for granted is what someone in a hospital wishes they could have.

The little income you receive and murmur is more than what many people have. That is why the Bible teaches contentment. Contentment does not mean a lack of ambition or growth. It does not mean settling for less. It simply means you are being grateful for where God has brought you far while trusting Him for greater things ahead. God often starts with little things before He releases bigger things to us. He gave David a few sheep before giving him a kingdom.

He gave Joseph responsibility in Potiphar’s house before placing him over Egypt. He gave the disciples a few loaves and fishes before demonstrating a miracle that fed thousands. Sometimes God uses little beginnings to test our attitude. He watches us to see if we will be grateful in that little thing or gift. He watches to see if we will remain faithful to Him. He watches to see if we can manage the small opportunities before entrusting us with larger responsibilities.

Many people are asking God for breakthrough but they are not appreciating the blessings they are already enjoying. If you cannot thank God for the little He has given you, how will you properly appreciate the greater things that are coming? Never despise your little beginning. Never mock your current level. Never be ashamed of honest progress.

Every giant oak tree was once a tiny seed. Every successful ministry started with a few people. Every great business started with a single customer. Every great testimony started with a small step of faith. Your progress may be slow, but it is still progress. Your growth may not be dramatic, but it is still growth. Your testimony may not look spectacular today, but God is still writing your story.

One reason God allows people to start small is because small beginnings often develop our true character. When a person suddenly receives great success without passing through seasons of little beginnings, there is a tendency to become proud, careless, and ungrateful. But when someone remembers where God brought them from, they are more likely to remain humble.

Many of the people we admire today started from places that looked insignificant. There was a time when David was known only as a shepherd boy. Nobody celebrated him. Nobody invited him to the palace. His brothers looked more qualified than him. Yet God was preparing him through the small assignment of taking care of sheep. If David had despised the sheepfold, he might never have reached the throne.

There are people who are waiting for the day they will become wealthy before they begin to manage money wisely. There are people waiting to become influential before they develop good character. There are people waiting for a large ministry before becoming faithful in serving God. But God’s principle is different. He expects faithfulness in little things before entrusting bigger things.

Jesus said that whoever is faithful in little will also be faithful in much. This means that the little things in our lives are not insignificant in the eyes of God. The little opportunities, little responsibilities, little victories, and little resources are all tests and training grounds for greater things.

Sometimes people pray for open doors while ignoring the doors that God has already opened. They focus so much on what they do not have that they fail to maximize what they already have. The widow in the days of Elisha was crying about her debts, but God asked her what she had in her house. She thought it was insignificant – a small pot of oil. Yet that little oil became the source of a great miracle.

Many miracles begin with something small. The problem is that people often overlook the small thing because they are expecting something spectacular. God may place a small idea in your heart. God may put you in a company that pay lesser than your expectation. He may give you a small opportunity. He may connect you with a few people you are bigger than.

He may start with a small testimony. What is small today may become great tomorrow. The enemy wants people to become discouraged because of slow progress. He wants them to quit before the harvest arrives to them. He wants them to abandon their assignment because he know that their results will not come to pass. But God works differently. He often develops things gradually in His own time.

A farmer does not plant today and harvest tomorrow. There is a waiting period. There is watering. There is nurturing. There is patience. Then eventually comes the harvest. The same principle applies to many areas of life. Success, spiritual growth, ministry growth, financial increase, and personal development often happen progressively.

One of the reasons God allows people to start small is because small beginnings reveal the condition of our heart. It is easy to be faithful when everyone is watching. It is easy to be excited when the results are large. But what happens when the audience is small, the income is small, the opportunities are few, and the recognition is limited? That is when true character is revealed.

Beloved, do not measure your life by what you see on the surface. God may be doing deeper work in you than you realize. He may be building your faith, strengthening your character, teaching you patience, developing wisdom, and preparing you for responsibilities that are beyond your current level.

The people who appreciate small progress are usually the people who enjoy big progress when it arrives. Why? Because gratitude keeps the heart healthy.  Gratitude reminds us that every good thing comes from God. Gratitude keeps us humble. It protects us from envy and comparison. Never allow another person’s testimony to make you despise your own journey.

God is writing different stories for different people. Some people bloom early, while others bloom later. Some people receive quick breakthroughs, while others go through longer preparation.  But as long as God is involved in the affairs of your life, your story will end in praise. When you thank God for today’s little progress, you are demonstrating faith for tomorrow’s greater progress.

When you celebrate the small victories, you are positioning yourself to receive larger victories. When you appreciate what God has done, you create an atmosphere for Him to do even more. Another reason you should never despise small progress is because God often hides great destinies in small beginnings.

Human beings are impressed by size, appearance, and speed, but God looks at potential. While people are looking at where you are today, God is looking at where He is taking you tomorrow. When Jesus wanted to feed thousands of people, He started with a small lunch belonging to a young boy.

To many people, five loaves and two fishes were insignificant compared to the size of the crowd. It looked too small to make any difference. Yet when that little provision was placed in the hands of Jesus, it became a miracle that fed thousands.

The lesson is simple: what is small in your hand can become great in the hand of God. Many people are waiting for abundance before they become thankful. God expects them to be thankful for the little they have already received today.  One of the signs of spiritual maturity is the ability to celebrate God’s goodness even when your expectations have not fully manifested.

A mature believer does not wait until everything is perfect before praising God. He thanks God for life. He thanks God for strength. He thanks God for provision. He thanks God for protection. He thanks God for the little victories that many people overlook.

There are people who prayed years ago for things they now take for granted. They once prayed for employment. Today they have a job but complain about the salary. They once prayed for marriage. Today they are married but complain about the challenges. They once prayed for children. Today they have children but complain about the responsibilities.

Sometimes we become so focused on the next blessing that we forget to thank God for the blessings we already possess. A grateful person sees blessings everywhere. An ungrateful person sees problems everywhere. The enemy knows that gratitude produces joy, so he constantly tries to shift people’s focus from what God has done to what God has not yet done.

He wants them to focus on their limitations instead of God’s faithfulness. He wants them to focus on their delays instead of their progress. But every believer must learn to count their blessings. When you look back at where God brought you from, you will discover that you have made more progress than you realize. Perhaps you are not where you want to be, but thank God you are not where you used to be.

Perhaps your prayers have not all been answered, but thank God some of them have been answered.  Perhaps your harvest is not yet full, but thank God the seed has already sprouted. Never underestimate the power of a thankful heart. Thanksgiving attracts God’s presence in our life. Thanksgiving invites God’s favour. Thanksgiving positions us for greater blessings.

There are people who become bitter because they believe their progress is too slow. They compare themselves with their classmates, friends, relatives, colleagues, or neighbours. They ask, “Why is that person ahead of me?” “Why is their testimony bigger than mine?” “Why is their breakthrough faster than mine?”

The danger of comparison is that it blinds you to your own blessings. It causes you to focus on another person’s harvest while ignoring your own field. God never called us to compete with one another but called us to trust Him. Every person has a different assignment, a different journey, and a different timetable. The God who is working in your life is the same God working in the lives of others.

He knows the right season for every blessing. If Joseph had compared himself to his brothers while he was in prison, he would have become discouraged. If David had compared himself to King Saul while tending sheep, he might have lost hope. But both men trusted God’s timing, and eventually God lifted them.

Beloved, your current challenge is not permanent. The small progress you see today is often the evidence that God is moving you toward a greater testimony. Do not allow impatience to rob you of  your joy. Never allow comparison to rob you of that gratitude. Do not allow pride to make you despise your humble beginnings or where you are coming from.

Celebrate every step forward in your life. Celebrate every answered prayer. Celebrate every improvement. Celebrate every lesson learned in life. Celebrate every opportunity God gives you. The same God who gave you good health will give you long life. The same God who opened the doors of others will open your own doors. The same God who started the good work in your life is faithful to complete it.

In the same way, God sees your efforts. He sees your prayers. He sees your committment. He sees your faithfulness. He sees your sacrifices. He sees your growth. He sees the improvements others may not notice. You may not be where you want to be spiritually and physically, but you are no longer where you used to be, that’s progresss.

You may not have reached all your goals in life, but to the glory of God, you have moved beyond previous limitations. You may not have achieved everything you dreamed of, but you have survived battles that could have destroyed you. That is progress. Many people fail to recognize that survival itself can be a testimony.

There are battles that came to destroy us, yet God preserved us. There were situations that should have buried us, yet God brought us through. There were storms that should have swallowed us, yet we are still standing. The fact that you are alive today is a clear evidence that God is not finished with your story. God is not only interested in giving you blessings. He is also interested in developing grateful hearts.

A grateful heart will remain thankful whether the blessing is small or great. A grateful heart understands that every good and perfect gift comes from God. When Jesus healed ten lepers, only one returned to give thanks. The miracle was available to all ten, but gratitude distinguished one from the others. This teaches us that God notices grateful people.

Beloved, learn to thank God for the things that seem ordinary to you. Thank Him for waking you up this morning. Thank Him for the breath in your lungs.  Thank Him for the food on your table. Thank Him for the roof over your head. Thank Him for every answered prayer and every unanswered prayer that He is still working on. Sometimes the greatest blessings are the ones we hardly notice because they happen every day.

Please do not allow the culture of comparison to make you blind to God’s goodness. Social media may show you people’s highlights, but it does not show you their struggles. It does not show you their secret battles. It does not show you the prayers they are praying behind closed doors.

Therefore, focus on your own journey. Focus on your own growth. Focus on your own testimony. Focus on your own relationship with God. The race God has given you is unique. He has not called you to compete with anyone. He has called you to remain faithful.

One day, you will look back and realize that the small opportunities, the little breakthroughs, the gradual improvements, and the humble beginnings were all part of God’s master plan. Small progress is not failure. Small progress is not stagnation.

Small progress is proof that God is still moving, still working, still leading, and still preparing you for greater things ahead. Keep thanking God. Keep trusting God. Keep moving forward. The God who gave you the little favour today is able to give you a greater favour tomorrow.

The world celebrates sudden success, but God often works through gradual progress. However, God does not measure progress the same way man measures it. While people celebrate speed and instant success, God often works through processes.  Many believers are discouraged because they compare their journey with the journey of others.

They see someone else’s success and conclude that God has forgotten them. Yet they fail to remember that every great testimony started with a small beginning. Many believers become frustrated because they expect instant results in every area of life. The truth is this: small progress is still progress. If you are moving forward, even slowly, thank God.

If you know more Scripture today than you knew last year, that is progress. If your prayer life is stronger than before, that is progress. If your finances are slightly better than before, that is progress. Never despise what God is doing simply because it appears small. Elisha faithfully served Elijah before receiving a double portion of his anointing.

Their greatness did not begin on the throne. It began in small assignments that many people would have considered insignificant. What you do not value, you will not appreciate. And what you do not appreciate will gradually lose value in your eyes. This principle applies not only to money but also to relationships, opportunities, talents, ministries, jobs, and spiritual blessings.

Many people are praying for what they once had because they failed to appreciate. The small business you have today may be the foundation of a larger enterprise tomorrow. The small ministry assignment you have today may prepare you for a global platform tomorrow. Sadly, many people miss their blessings because they are looking for something bigger.

They reject what God has given them because it appears too small. Naaman almost lost his healing because he despised the simple instruction to wash in the Jordan River. He expected something spectacular, but God chose something simple. Many times, God hides great miracles inside small acts of obedience. Remember this: what looks small in your eyes may be very big in God’s plan.

Therefore, do not despise it, do not neglect it, and do not complain about it. Nurture it, pray over it, work with it, and thank God for it. In God’s hands, little things often become mighty testimonies. Sometimes people think that God is delaying them when in reality God is developing them. Many people only want testimonies that make headlines.

They want dramatic breakthroughs that impress others. Yet some of the greatest miracles happen quietly.  The ability to forgive someone who hurt you is progress. The ability to give birth to a female child instead of male child is progress. The ability to rbuy a plot of land is progress. Never underestimate these victories because heaven celebrates them.

The person who learns to appreciate one loaf of bread will know how to thank God for ten loaves. The person who appreciates one open door will value ten open doors. The person who celebrates small victories will be prepared to handle greater victories with humility. A small step in the right direction is better than standing still while dreaming of giant leaps. Keep growing. Keep learning. Keep serving. Keep believing.

The same God who blesses small beginnings is able to bring you into a future greater than you can imagine. Another reason many people become discouraged is because they focus too much on the distance ahead and forget how far God has already brought them. When the children of Israel left Egypt, they did not arrive in the Promised Land the next day. God led them step by step.

He first delivered them from Pharaoh, then brought them through the Red Sea, then provided manna from heaven, water from the rock, and protection in the wilderness. Each miracle was a sign that they were moving forward, even though they had not yet reached their final destination.

Unfortunately, many of the Israelites became impatient. They forgot the progress God had already given them and focused only on what they had not yet received. They complained about their present situation instead of appreciating God’s faithfulness. As believers, we must be careful not to make the same mistake. Gratitude helps us recognize God’s handin our life even in seasons of gradual growth.

Beloved,The fact that your miracle has not fully manifested does not mean God has abandoned you. The fact that your ministry is not yet large does not mean it will never grow. The fact that your business is growing slowly does not mean it is failing. God often works quietly before He works publicly.

Every prayer you pray, every lesson you learn, every step of obedience you take, and every victory you gain is moving you closer to God’s purpose for your life. The same God who began the journey with you is faithful to bring it to completion. One day, you will look back and realize that what seemed like small progress was actually God leading you toward a great testimony all along.

Prophetic Declaration

I decree that you shall not be discouraged. Every good work God has started in your life shall be completed. Every seed you have planted in faith shall bear fruit. Your small progress shall become great progress. Your little testimony shall become a major testimony. The God who turns seeds into harvests shall enlarge your blessings and establish you in success, in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Key Lessons for Today

• God often begins great things with small beginnings.
• Never despise the process God is taking you through.
• Faithfulness in little things prepares you for bigger things.
• Progress may be slow, but it is still progress.

Wisdom for Today

If you thank God for today’s little blessing, you are showing Him that you can be trusted with tomorrow’s greater blessing.

Evangelism Challenge

Encourage someone today who feels discouraged by slow progress. Remind them that God is still working and that every step forward matters.

Bible in One Year

2 Chronicles 35–36; John 19

Prayer Assignment (Morning)

1. Father, I thank You for every blessing and progress You have brought into my life, in Jesus’ name.

2. O Lord, give me a grateful heart that appreciates every good thing You have done for me, in Jesus’ name.

3. Every spirit of comparison stealing my joy, die by fire, in Jesus’ name.

4. Father, help me never to despise the days of small beginnings, in Jesus’ name.

5. O Lord, open my eyes to see Your blessings in my life, in Jesus’ name.

6. Every power assigned to make me ungrateful, lose your hold over me, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, let every small progress in my life grow into a great testimony, in Jesus’ name.

8. O God, teach me to be content while trusting You for greater things, in Jesus’ name.

9. Every spirit of envy and jealousy, come out of my life by fire, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, let my little efforts produce great results, in Jesus’ name.

11. O Lord, bless the work of my hands and increase me on every side, in Jesus’ name.

12. Every good thing You have started in my life, Father, bring it to completion, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Assignment (Night)

1. Father, thank You for preserving my life and helping me through this day, in Jesus’ name.

2. Every blessing I have overlooked, Father, forgive my lack of appreciation, in Jesus’ name.

3. O Lord, help me to count my blessings and not my problems, in Jesus’ name.

4. Every voice telling me that I am not making progress, be silenced by fire, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, let every seed I have sown begin to produce a harvest, in Jesus’ name.

6. Every power assigned to discourage me from my journey, die by fire, in Jesus’ name.

7. O Lord, strengthen me not to give up before my breakthrough comes, in Jesus’ name.

8. Every spirit of impatience attacking my faith, die by fire, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, let my progress become visible to all who need to see it, in Jesus’ name.

10. O God, accelerate every delayed blessing assigned to my life, in Jesus’ name.

11. I shall not labour in vain; I shall eat the fruit of my labour, in Jesus’ name.

12. Father, let my tomorrow be greater than my today, and my end better than my beginning, in Jesus’ mighty name.

African Proverb

“Little by little, the bird builds its nest.”

Closing Reflection

Never measure your life only by what you have not yet achieved. Measure it also by how far God has brought you. The God who gave you today’s progress is able to give you tomorrow’s breakthrough. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep working. Keep trusting.

Small progress is still progress, and every step taken with God is a step toward a greater testimony. May the Lord strengthen you to remain faithful until your season of full harvest arrives, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This devotional is brought to you by Evangelist Joshua Orekhie Ministries (EJOM)

— Dream it. Pray it. Win it.