The Small Things of God

This post is part of Bridget Chumbley’s Blog Carnival on joy. Head on over and read some great posts on Joy!

 God puts mirrors of fatherhood throughout all his creation. They are the small, still reminders of His model for our lives. Did you know that a father Namaqua Sandgrouse of Africa's Kalahari Desert flies as far as 50 miles a day in order to soak himself in water? Afterwards he returns to his nest, where his chicks can drink from his feathers. Now, after one of our family major water gun fights, I seriously doubt my kids would want to drink anything dripping off of me! In small acts of kindness towards His children, the Father speaks eternal worth into our hearts. Like the example of the African grouse, the lengths He will go to prove His care for us astounds me.

On one summer vacation in North Carolina, my daughter was swimming in the surf and lost a favorite bracelet. After searching for quite a while and coming up empty handed, she was devastated. We talked about God’s love for her, even in the small things. We prayed for a right attitude and for the lost bracelet. Together we left the beach for lunch and left the bracelet in God’s hands. Later that day we went for a beach walk and as my daughter was looking for shells; I went to put my feet in the water. As I entered the waves, guess what rolled up between my feet? I picked up the once lost but now found treasure and called to my daughter. Imagine the joy of a “little thing” being place back into the care of her hands. She learned an invaluable lesson about the small things of God and will never forget it.

Throughout the scriptures the Father uses many “small things” to speak to us. In the one small smooth stone that dropped Goliath (who said rock music was bad?) he speaks of protection in standing against unrighteousness. He speaks of provision and faith in the handful of meal and a jar of oil that carried a widow and her son through years of famine With five barley loaves and a couple of small fish that fed a multitude the Father speaks of the abundance He has for us.

From super large SUVs to super sized fast food; (hmm, I wonder which one delivers better “gas” mileage?) the notion today is that bigger is better. All the while God leans towards the small things to explain His Kingdom to us.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; [32] and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."
Matthew 13:31-32

From a small town called Bethlehem, God announced freedom from sin was at hand. To a small man (Zacchaeus) sitting in a tree, He shows salvation comes to us personally. The Father causes us to live large on small things. His focus is so much finer than ours, His concern over details dwarfs our own. You belong to Him; His care for you is precise, to the point, and always on target. In the finding of a child’s lost treasure or the many examples of His care, let us not ever underestimate the power of the small things of God.

True joy is found in them all.

Peace and Blessings,
Jay

 

LiveJournal Tags: Joy,small things