Little Things Mean A Lot

For who has despised the day of small things? (Zechariah 4:10)

My wife’s numerous bouts with kidney stones have given me a fresh understanding of small things. A kidney stone is impossible to ignore until it goes away. At least it was in her case. It was amazing to watch how her whole body focused so intently on that tiny little thing. Very little comfort was found between waves of nausea and extreme back pain. That little thing became a large focal point in her life and the lives of others around her.
Have you ever been made to feel as though your contribution to life didn’t matter? Those of us who have experienced being belittled by our siblings or snubbed at school by the “in crowd” know the pain of feeling small. An elderly lady once told me that people had made her feel small in their dealings with her. They made her feel too old to do important things any more. Her perception was that she was given menial things to do so she could still feel that she had some value. She came to despise these “small things” because she felt that she was insignificant. Feelings of insignificance seem to follow us throughout our whole lives. When we begin to believe that we really don’t matter, it is very painful.
No matter what others may say, no matter how they act toward us, our value to God is measured in drops of blood at the foot of a Roman cross outside the city limits of Jerusalem almost 20 centuries ago. Insignificance is a lie. God’s barter system says so. The ransom price for me that says I matter has been paid in full. You and I matter to God. And that’s what really matters! God is a God of the small thing. He said that if we are faithful in small things, we will be given opportunities to be faithful in the large.

I. SMALL STEPS ARE LITTLE THINGS. Children who are exceptions will walk before they crawl. Usually, it’s the other way around. But no one runs before they can walk. They begin to walk with small steps. It is important that we learn to walk with God before we can run with Him.
II. SMALL THINGS ARE BASIC THINGS. The first things we learn about living are basic things. What to touch and what not to touch, where to go and where to stay away from. These are basic to survival. Basic obedience to God is basic training for life.
III. GOD CAN USE SMALL THINGS TO DO GREAT WORK. Little is much when God is in it, so one old song says. Little people, inhabited by God, have the potential of greatness. Our spiritual work is begun by God. And He will complete it. One step at a time in our walk with Him.
Don’t despise the day of small things. Don’t think less of your service to God than He does. He thinks we matter. Learn to appreciate the small things that matter to a great God. There are no little people in the kingdom of God. Can you remember a time when God took something small in your life and magnified it to His glory? Someone around you may be feeling pretty small today and needs to hear that story.