Small Things for God - Posted 01/17/2007

For those who are discouraged today by the seemingly little that they are doing for the sake of Christ…

“For who hath despised the day of small things?...”, Zechariah 4:10

God does not operate in the capacity of earthly minds.

God does not work within the realms of man’s understanding.

Sometimes what we as humans think adds up to nothing is a giant thing in the scheme of God’s plans.

Who hath despised the day of small things?

Certainly not God.

The nature of man is to measure success according to dollar bills and social status. Think about it; what is one of the first
questions you ask someone when you meet them?

“What do you do, or, what kind of job do you have?”

Why do we ask this? Simple; we are measuring that person’s status in life.

We may not do it on purpose, but most of us do it.

Jesus must be the ultimate example of our attitude toward the “small things” in life.

Look as Matthew 14:15-21 records the following account.

“And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude
away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals(food). But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart;
give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but(only) five loaves, and two fishes. He(Jesus) said, Bring them hither
to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to
heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and
were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five
thousand men, beside(not including) women and children.”  (explanations mine/emphasis mine)

Many would look at five loaves of bread and two fish as barely an appetizer, but Jesus fed over 5000 people with that small
amount of food. Jesus did not despise “small things”.

All great things must start somewhere.

Life is filled with examples of small things becoming great things.

The world’s largest rivers, the Nile and the Amazon start as mere trickles of water.

I once heard an evangelist preach this same subject, and one example he used was the internal combustion engine.

Many, including myself, enjoy the sound of a deep, throaty V8 engine rumbling through a performance exhaust system. But the
credit for the horsepower and the torque of that engine can’t be given to the loud exhaust pipes. Long before the result of
exhaust noise, there is a process that must be performed in the engine.

There is a little spark plug…

Every time that spark plug does it’s job, it begins a violent chain reaction inside the engine that results in POWER.

Please, don’t forget that little insignificant spark plug.

A small thing…don’t despise it, for it is necessary.

Recall the little seeds that are planted. After a season of cultivating and nourishing, a plant springs forth that is much more
grand, but, it started as a small thing.

In the days of the prophet Elijah there had been a drought for over three years. Not one drop of rain or even a drop of dew had
fallen. Things looked grim. Hopeless.

I Kings 18:41-45 relates the account.

“And Elijah said unto Ahab(the king), Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to
eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his
knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he
(Elijah) said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he(the servant) said, Behold, there ariseth a little
cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he(Elijah) said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that
the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a
great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.”  (explanations mine/emphasis mine)

A little cloud the size of a man’s hand became a howling, terrible storm that poured out sheets of rain.

A small thing…

Do not despise the day of small things.

Maybe you feel inadequate for the role you fill in God’s kingdom. Perhaps you think that you are not doing much to advance the
army of the Lord.

Stop using man’s measuring tape. Instead, use God’s.

True, there are many who are “lazy”. Many who are “slack”.

But, God knows your heart, He knows the mindset that you have. God knows the very intent and motive behind every thought
and deed that you entertain or do.

Our heavenly Father does not compare us to one another.

His true litmus test for success is our consecration and dedication to His will. God judges success by obedience. Plain and
simple.

Even the high priest and judge Samuel was caught in the trap of carnal reasoning when God commissioned him to anoint a new
king in Israel.

I Samuel 16:6,7,&12 tells us his near mistake.

“And it came to pass, when they(the children of Jesse) were come, that he(Samuel) looked on Eliab(the oldest son), and said,
Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his
stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the
Lord looketh on the heart…And he sent, and brought him(the youngest son, David) in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a
beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.”  (explanations mine/emphasis
mine)

Compared to Eliab, the big and strong man, little David seemed inadequate for the job, but God saw things differently.

God does not despise “small things”.

Neither should you.

Be honest; are you depressed? Are you disheartened with your success in life? Do you feel “let-down” by the seemingly
shortcomings in your service to God?

Be not discouraged. Scripture encourages the “well-doer” to not “grow weary” for in “due season you will reap a harvest” if
your faith does not fail. In other words, don’t give up now…God can turn your “small things” into giant successes in Him.

If you need to know God today, then it takes just a “small” prayer. Just make that decision, I will serve the Lord.

II Corinthians 6:2 says,"...behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.)”  (emphasis mine)