The Smallest Detail
It is a humbling experience to see a painting begin to take shape and become something that stirs the heart and mind. More than a rendering, painting is also a journey. As I am rarely sure what the end will be, I am fascinated, every time, by the finished work. I am also greatly intrigued by the depth and focus a small simple mark can bring. Sometimes beauty is revealed in the details.
Like the story God is unfolding in my life and in yours, things become sharper, more clearly defined in the dailiness, in the details. And here’s the thing: God is very interested in the small things. “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7 ESV)
There is no care you have that is too small to bring to Him. There is not a moment of your life that is too mundane to be shared with Him. We are in danger of making Him too small in our eyes when we don’t believe all the small things matter to Him. Consider the intricate details presented in the Scriptures related to the building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. God said to Moses in Exodus 25:9, “Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” There follow three chapters of explicit details of materials, measurements, style and presentation. And in chapter 28, even the garments of the priests were specified as to fabric and design. There was not one small, exquisite detail left out of those instructions.
And there is not one small, intricate detail of your life that is outside His rule and authority. He is God, and He is serious. About everything. We do right when we bow before Him in reverence. He is also careful and tender with us, and His kind intention is toward us. He is able to work all things together. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 ESV)
Whether you break a perfectly painted fingernail the day before your wedding, or you get a traffic ticket on your way to your first day on the job, or you get news of a tragedy impacting your family, or you get a dire prognosis, from the least to the greatest of these events, your life expectancy is in the eternal Kingdom of light. As a child of the King, it matters how we respond to Him in every circumstance. It matters how we talk to Him. It matters how we listen. It matters how we obey. It matters that we believe.
Dear one, do the details of your life seem not very important? Possibly you need His perspective to elevate the significance of where you are in the journey. There may be one small stroke He’s after that will change the entire picture. He is trustworthy and true, and He is the pre-eminent Creator. Make room for Him, and then settle in and learn of Him. There is no one beside Him.
Until next week, beloved, know that He is at work in the details.