Bible Ballistics: Vol. 17 No. 22   Is Small Insignificant???

We live in a world of “king size” it. Extra large please?  Cups so big they won’t fit in the ‘cup’ holder?  Double, triple and even bigger burgers.  Houses that parallel castles, and cars that are more like a greyhound bus than a family car!  Yet, what has all this brought us to?  I think, in part, the inability to discern between the small in size and the insignificant in reality.  Let’s consider some small things and see what God’s Word has to say about “size”

There was a lunch of 5 loaves and 3 small fish—that fed 5,000+; a young boy with a sling and 5 stones—who brought down a giant with only 1 stone; there was another young boy whom God called to deliver a man-sized message—Samuel delivered God’s message of judgment to Eli; there was a small town which hosted the birth of the King of Kings—tiny Bethlehem!

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,

though thou be little

among the thousands of Judah,

yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me

that is to be ruler in Israel;

whose goings forth

have been from of old,

from everlasting.”  Micah 5:2

God doesn’t see what we see—and we, sad to say, often don’t see what God is calling us to see.

“Seek ye the LORD

while he may be found,

call ye upon him

while he is near:

7 Let the wicked

forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man

his thoughts:

and let him return

unto the LORD,

and he will have mercy upon him;

and to our God,

for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts

are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways

my ways,

saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens

are higher than the earth,

so are my ways

higher than your ways,

and my thoughts

than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:6-9

And as the Proverbs tells us:

“There is a way

that seemeth right unto a man,

but the end thereof

are the ways of death.”  Proverbs 16:25

“There is a way

which seemeth right unto a man,

but the end thereof

are the ways of death.”  Proverbs 14:12

Jesus talked about a narrow gate, and the “few” that find it.  And that is about as significant a passage as we will find regarding the import of seeking God’s “small” things, which in reality are the “big” things!  For you see, sometimes the seemingly small things have giant consequences!  Both of the above proverbs make it clear to us that when we miss the things of God, by choosing our own wisdom over God’s the consequence can be “deadly”!  Just because it’s popular or the “buzz word” of the day, doesn’t make it true—and regardless of what is accepted today—JESUS IS TRUTH!–  and HE is the standard by which we will all be judged.

“For the word of God

is quick,

and powerful,

and sharper than any twoedged sword,

piercing even to the dividing asunder

of soul and spirit,

and of the joints and marrow,

and is a discerner

of the thoughts

and intents

of the heart.

13 Neither is there any creature

that is not manifest in his sight:

but all things are naked and opened

unto the eyes of him

with whom

we have to do.”  Hebrews 4:12-13

Jesus Himself reminds us that we must choose between that which is popular and that which is right!  The majority is seldom spiritually right!  Don’t believe everything you see or hear, we must compare all things to what God has said, and by the person of our Lord, Jesus Christ—The Truth! (see John 14:6)!  There are many false voices proclaiming themselves wise today—beware!

“Enter ye in

at the strait gate:

for wide is the gate,

and broad is the way,

that leadeth to destruction,

and many there be

which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate,

and narrow is the way,

which leadeth unto life,

and few there be

that find it.

15 Beware of false prophets,

which come to you in sheep’s clothing,

but inwardly

they are ravening wolves.”  Matthew 7:13-15

Paul had a lot to say about being aware of what we hear and see and being wise to discern between the true and false—what may appear to be small is often truly foundational to know God and HIS truth!  While your call or mine may seem insignificant to the world—if God has called us to it, may we go forward in faith, confidence and obedience and leave the results up to our God.  It worked for David, Samuel, and Andrew who brought a small lunch to The Master, and it will still work God’s way for us too, if we but learn to exercise our faith and trust in God and HIS Word!  Oh my, YES!

“For Christ sent me not to baptize,

but to preach the gospel:

not with wisdom of words,

lest the cross of Christ

should be made of none effect.

18 For the preaching of the cross

is to them that perish

foolishness;

but unto us

which are saved

 it is the power of God.

19 For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom

of the wise,

and will bring to nothing

the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise?

where is the scribe?

where is the disputer of this world?

hath not God made foolish

the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God

the world by wisdom knew not God,

it pleased God

by the foolishness of preaching

to save them that believe.”    1 Corinthians 1:17-21

Ouch!  Remember our passage above from Isaiah:

“For my thoughts

are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways

 my ways,

saith the LORD”

I just love the way that God gave Paul to weave truths together, and that is just what he did in this first letter to the Corinthian believers; he goes on in chapter 3 to paint a most profound picture of the difference between doing things our way and doing them God’s way!

“According to the grace of God

which is given unto me,

as a wise masterbuilder,

I have laid the foundation,

and another buildeth thereon.

But let every man take heed

how he buildeth thereupon.

11 For other foundation

can no man lay

than that is laid,

which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation

gold,

silver,

 precious stones,

wood,

hay,

stubble;

13 Every man’s work

shall be made manifest:

for the day shall declare it,

because it shall be revealed

by fire;

and the fire shall try

every man’s work

of what sort it is.

14 If any man’s work abide

which he hath built thereupon,

he shall receive a reward.

15 If any man’s work shall be burned,

he shall suffer loss:

but he himself shall be saved;

yet so as by fire.

16 Know ye not

that ye are the temple of God,

and that the Spirit of God

dwelleth in you?”  1 Corinthians 3:10-16

Wow!  What a picture—we can choose to do God’s work with God’s materials—gold, silver, precious stones (those things which are created by God, and only mined by diligent pursuit of God’s treasure)!  Or we can choose to appear to do “God’s” work our own way, using the feeble, temporal, flammable materials of this earth (those things which can be produced by human effort!  Think about that!)!  When we belong to Jesus, we are to pursue HIS works, not our own works—usually done for our own glory, in our own power, hence the lack of reward, when our works lay in ashes with nothing to offer our KING!

Can you see the difference between the seemingly insignificant and that which is of eternal value?  It kind of makes it clear why we see so few Goliaths falling around us!  Please God, help us see what you see in all these distracting things around us, and help me/us to pursue Your will, that we might do Your work, Your way!

I would like to simply close with the words of our Lord to help us reevaluate our focus.

“And when thou prayest,

thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are:

for they love to pray standing in the synagogues                                       and in the corners of the streets,

that they may be seen of men.

Verily I say unto you,

They have their reward.

6 But thou,

when thou prayest,

enter into thy closet,

and when thou hast shut thy door,

pray to thy Father

which is in secret;

and thy Father

which seeth in secret

shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray,

use not vain repetitions,

as the heathen do:

for they think that they

shall be heard

for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore

like unto them:

for your Father knoweth

what things ye have need of,

before ye ask him.

9 After this manner therefore

pray ye:

Our Father

which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done

in earth,

as it is in heaven.”   Matthew 6:5-10

Amen and Amen!!!