DESPISE NOT SMALL THINGS Devotion 20 of 24 The Divine pattern of "small things," or "small beginnings" is repeatedly affirmed in Scripture. These affirmations are intended to do more than provide historical accuracy – although they surely do that. They are "written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Rom 15:4). They reveal the character of God, the nature of His Kingdom, and the means through which His will is consistently implemented. If we will believe these accounts, having faith in God, He will deliver us from small and minuscule ways of thinking. He will also strengthen our hearts to labor in His vineyard with a sense of expectancy. A few examples of "small beginnings" will suffice to establish this truth to our hearts. ADAM and EVE You cannot have a smaller numeric beginning than this: ONE. Of Adam it is said, "He (God) has made from ONE BLOOD every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth" (Acts 17:26). The NIV reads, "From one man." Every race and every nation on "all the face of the earth" – all from "one blood," or man! NOAH'S FAMILY Here is another "small beginning." Following the flood, there were only eight people. Yet, from the small beginning, the earth was again populated. It is written, "And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread" (Gen 9:18-19). ABRAHAM'S OFFSPRING Here is one man with a barren wife. No sociologist would ever look to Abraham to produce a great nation, and multitudes of kings and people. Flesh would reason the beginning was too small. Yet, God said to Abraham, "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be" (Gen 15:5). And again, "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies" (Gen 22:17). He was truly "a father of many nations" (Rom 4:18), and "kings" came forth from him (Gen 17:6). THE FAMILY OF JACOB When Jacob and his family went down into Egypt, they were a small number. The Scriptures record that occasion, making a special point of the precise number of that small clan. Although several years had passed since the promise of Abraham, the children of Abraham remained small. This took place when Joseph, having been exalted to the throne, had called his father and family into Egypt because of a fierce famine. At the time, not only was Jacob's family small, he had thought Joseph was dead. It is written, "Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already." (Ex 1:1-5). THE KINGDOM OF GOD The kingdom of God, over which the Lord Jesus is presently presiding, is said to have had a small beginning. Daniel revealed a dream God had given to king Nebuchadnezzar that depicted that kingdom as a small stone taken from a mountain without hands. That stone, Daniel affirmed, became a great mountain that filled the whole earth (Dan 2:35,44). Jesus said this kingdom was like a mustard seed, "Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof" (Matt 13:31). – Tomorrow:
"Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth." Zechariah 4:8-10, NKJV
Eve herself is called "the mother of ALL living" (Gen 3:20). Small beginnings, indeed, but behold what a multitude has come from our ancient parents!
It is written of Abraham, "Therefore sprang there even OF ONE, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable" (Heb 11:12). In faith, Abraham pondered the promise of God, not the seeming impossible circumstances. Thus it is written, "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform" (Rom 4:19-21).
Following the death of Joseph, the Word of God declares, "And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them" (Ex 1:7). Some years later when they came out of Egypt by the mighty hand of God, it is said of them, "And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle" (Ex 12:37-38). The 600,000 that were men are later said to be those older than twenty (Ex 30:14). Conservative estimates consider the total count of the people at that time to have been somewhere between three and seven million – around the size of the city of Chicago. All of that came from a small beginning.
A small and unimpressive beginning, indeed! At one point, according to appearance, we had little more than a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. Some thirty years later we have a group of thirteen – Jesus and His disciples, and one of them was "a devil." But what of that kingdom now? And it has not yet reached its apex!
Dear child of God, do not despise the day of small beginnings!
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, help me to see more clearly that Your purpose and work may begin small, but they are will not remain that way.