It’s the little things that mean a lot when God is in it.
SHAUNA: You’re listening to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Hi, I’m Shauna with an insight from Joni worth remembering.
JONI: Actually, I glean this from John Duckworth who observed how interested, how fascinated God is with little things—very little things. Like a widow’s coin, the washing of a foot, mud made from dirt and spit. A single lost little lamb for whom he leaves 99 others to go find. Little things like the surrender of a small boy’s lunch of loaves and fish. Oh my, God makes much of little things. The Lord may call us to move mountains once in a while, but the rest of the time he has plenty of molehills for us to tackle. He probably wants more encouraging notes sent than books written, more sandwiches shared than sermons preached, more Band-Aids applied than buildings built.
For instance, the other day I was jamming to get things done at my desk. I hadn’t taken a break all morning and was in front of my computer for three hours straight. When I did take a minute to go to the restroom and come back to my desk, there, on my desk in front of the computer, was a little bite-size Snickers bar sitting on top of a little note that read, “The Lord your God is your strength and shield.” And you know what? My eyes got wet just looking at that handwritten verse, I didn’t even know who put it there. But whatever coworker it was knew that I was a big fan of Snickers bars. So, I did what I rarely do—I took a few minutes of break time just to relish in that delicious little bit of chocolate and peanut, and caramel. I ate it ever so slowly, savoring the joy of the moment, until all the chocolate melted in my mouth. It was fun, it was relaxing. And I was able to dive back into things, having experienced a little refreshment from the Holy Spirit, reminding me that the Lord, my God, is my strength; he will be my help as I tackle all this stuff. A Snickers bar did all that, you say? Well, look, that little bite of candy was a gift, it was a little gesture from a coworker, and that’s what touched my heart. The small gift that said, “I care about you.”
You know, my husband Ken does little things like this all the time. The other day a repair man came to install our new oven, and he brought with him a couple of workers—all three were served ice cold cans of Coca-Cola by my husband with a big smile, and not just that, but a few questions about their work and their families. Those guys walked away with our house with gospel tracts, and a genuine appreciation for what a Christian looks like. A can of Coke and a smile isn’t much, but when given in the name of Jesus, it’s a lot!
Zechariah 4 says, “This is the Word of the Lord…Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” And then, almost out of nowhere, in contrast, Zechariah adds, “Do not despise these small things.” Sometimes the power of God is most beautifully displayed through the smallest of things. And this is really good news for anyone who has only little things to work with. Like a cup of water or a plate of home-baked cookies. Or a few flowers picked, or a word or deed so tiny it can’t even be remembered, except by the recipient, who may never, ever forget. So be careful not to despise the day of little or small things. As John Duckworth would say, “Little is much when God is in it!”
SHAUNA: Oh friend, thanks for listening today, and I hope you’ll take this little message to heart. God bless you and see you next time on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope!
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