by Shayla Asselin
For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Zechariah 4:10 KJV
It’s hard for me to imagine a scene quite like it. A mixture of weeping and rejoicing disrupted the silence. It was about 2,500 years ago in the land of Israel. The exiles had returned and laid the foundation for a new temple. The elders, who had witnessed the former glory of the old temple, were lamenting. And the young people, who had been exiled and were unfamiliar with the previous temple, were rejoicing as they looked forward to the future.
If you’re unfamiliar with this story in the Bible, the elders were lamenting because the new temple was small compared to the old temple that was destroyed. (It’s estimated that King Solomon spent the modern equivalent of five to eight billion dollars on building the first temple.) How interesting it must have been to be a part of a crowd with such mixed emotions.
In the midst of these emotions, Zechariah boldly proclaims, “...This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4: 6-10)
My thought for today is simply this: The enemy would rather convince you it is better to have nothing than to be content with a little something. Because he knows what we all know, little is much when God is in it.
Sure, it may only be 5 loaves and 2 fishes, but if you give it to God, it could feed thousands.
That may only be a little baby in a manger, but in 33 years, His sacrifice has the power to redeem the entire world.
Don’t despise your ministry in the local church, by which God is glorified and people encouraged.
Don’t despise the mundane chores of motherhood, through which you love your children to Jesus.
Don’t despise the honor you show your parents, by which you acknowledge and submit yourself to the Word of God.
Don’t despise daily devotions, by which your heart is transformed by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Don’t despise working hard at your job or school everyday, through which you represent Christ and bring glory to the Kingdom of God.
We serve a big God who is interested in even the smallest things.
Today, I pray that you are encouraged to remain content and dedicated to even the small things in your life. God can receive glory from even the “small” parts of your story.
