“For who has despised the day of small things?”
Zechariah 4:10
Have you ever wanted to read and understand the Scriptures more but simply do not have the desire? Have you ever planned to be with God each night in prayer but then found yourself giving in to the flesh? Have you ever looked at other Christians and wondered how they can be the way they are, and you are just you? Has it ever seemed like the Lord is busy doing big things with your brothers and sisters while you are just left to the side, forgotten, and not even wanting to change? Christian, are you despising the day of small things?
In the days of Zechariah, the prophet was urging the Israelites to build a new temple for the Lord after the previous one was destroyed and buried with all its glory. In chapter 4, the Lord revealed that “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit”, Zerubbabel would complete the work of building this house. And on that day, “whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice”!
Why were some Jews “despising the day of small things”? Because no one wants to be the second best. For the Jews, this temple would always be nothing compared to the magnificent grandeur of Solomon’s temple. Whatever work that Zechariah was exhorting them to do would be a small thing in the eyes of the Lord – or so they thought.
But the Lord says through Zechariah that this “lesser” building was also built “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” Did God only pour out his Spirit for the people in Solomon’s day? No, his Spirit was also poured out on his people in “the day of small things.”
Many of us think that we have weak and small faith. But faith is a gift from God. So even if our faith is small, it is a supernatural faith, if it is saving faith. Bless God that we have even such little faith!
Remember the story of the widow’s offering at the temple? Luke tells us, “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them’” (21:1-3). Did Jesus despise her two small copper coins? No, the two coins were not small to him, they were “more than all of them.”
Remember what Isaiah said concerning Christ: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench” (42:3). Jesus is not looking for strength from his people. His message is about grace, not success. He’s looking for brokenness, not performance (Matt. 5:3).
In the kingdom of God, everything we do, even the tiniest of prayers, matters for eternity! How many prayers did Peter say before Jesus was moved to save him from sinking? The poor wretched thief beside Jesus on the cross only had one sentence, and the Lord remembered him in his kingdom. We can storm the mercy seat with boldness, but when we crawl to that same throne with weakness, we find that Jesus is just as available, listening and ready to act.
We all busy ourselves with feelings of inadequacy because we are and always will be inadequate. So we must look unto him who is adequate to meet every need, the One who will ever be before us.
Dear Christians, your King would love to hear all about your life and your problems and your fears and your sins, no matter how small you may consider them to be. He’s ready to listen and love because he never despises his people while they walk through “the day of small things.”
Writing This on A Day of Small Things,
Damian Mai