How do you measure God’s power and blessing? Numbers and size don’t always do it. For example, some churches have an attendance of
50,000. Does that mean God has withheld His blessing if the church you attend
has an attendance of 85?
When Jesus healed a blind man, was that a lesser miracle
than the parting of the Red Sea? Did Christ’s turning water into wine for a
small wedding deserve less praise than when He fed the 5000? Was the raising of
Lazarus less praiseworthy than the “many” who came out of their graves (Matthew 27:52-53) after Jesus' resurrection?
What if you share the gospel with 100 people and only one believes in Christ? Then you hear about an evangelistic service where 450 people came forward at the invitation. Bigger miracle? Isn't it true that every true conversion displays the infinite power and sovereign grace of God?
Measuring a miracle only by the size of a human response
will create a man-centered standard, and deprive God of glory due Him. Maybe we
really don’t know what God is up to.
When God helps me become more patient, or slowly works to break my dependence
upon the approval of others – these hardly seem like miracles. But He’s
preparing me to display His glory for eternity. Maybe it is a big deal after
all.
Similarly one soul converted may lead to multitudes saved in
future generations. One small church may become the mother of a cluster of
daughter churches.
When Zechariah led the rebuilding of the Temple after 70
years of Babylonian captivity, the Lord told him, Do not despise these small
beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…(Zechariah 4:10a, NLT).
Jesus said that the planting of a small mustard seed would one day become a
large bird sanctuary (Matthew 13:31-32).
Let’s rejoice in the “small things” God is doing. They might be a whole lot bigger than we know.
