Four Things on Earth are Small

Many human beings evaluate people, achievements, power, wealth, prestige, superiority, and the like are the BIG issues in life. But God does not measure people in these ways. God is concerned with the heart, no matter the height or weight or notoriety in the eyes of human beings living on planet earth. Numerous texts emphasize this very important truth. One of these appears in Proverbs 30:24-28: "Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people without strength, yet they provide their food in the summer; the badgers are a people without power, yet they make their homes in the rocks; the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; the lizard can be grasped in the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces." 1. Tiny ants have no physical strength. Yet, they have the inward strength to work together and think ahead of the future. Before a harsh winter arrives, they store up their food in safe places so they can survive. When one is wise enough to think ahead about issues facing one in life, that person survives and flourishes. Proverbs 6:6-8 emphasizes this important truth: "Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise. Without having any chief or officer or ruler, it prepares its food in the summer, and gathers its sustenance in harvest." 2. Badgers cannot live in houses like human beings do. So they do the best they can in light of their own circumstances. They might complain, but instead, they make their homes in the rocks, and there they live and survive. Not everyone can accomplish what other people can do. God does not expect this at all. What God desires is an honest heart, a compassionate inner being, a persistent life. God is very pleased with people who can arise above circumstances which many people abandoned. All we can do is what is available to us. This is all God expects. 3. Many people look to, admire, and seek to follow alleged LEADERS of various types. According to the Bible, God's followers, God's servants, God's ministers have ONLY ONE LEADER. He is our shepherd, our king, our lord, our guide. See Psalm 23; John 10:1-18. Under God through Jesus Christ, God wants all of his followers to "march in rank." The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you." The ear cannot say to the eye, "I do not belong to the body." Each member of God's spiritual body is VERY IMPORTANT. NO ONE is more important than anyone else. Thus, we must ALL be happy and very satisfied to carry out the roles and responsibilities which God gives us. Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 for this very significant concept. 4. The lizard is essentially helpless. A human being can easily catch and capture a lizard. Yet, even lizards work their way into kings' palaces. History have proved that many human beings who come from a very lowly background rise to great heights in a lifetime. Think of Moses, Amos, Peter, Paul, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, and many others. God can and does many human beings to carry out his purposes. All of us are VERY SMALL BLOBS OF MUD. God himself said: "You are dust [wet dust, mud], and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:19). When the Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel and Joshua, God told them to rebuild the temple. They built the foundation and stopped for sixteen years, because they were discouraged and did not think the effort was meaningful. Yahweh replied through Zechariah the prophet: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord God. . . . For whoever has DESPISED THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel." (Zechariah 4:6, 10). God gives us the wisdom, the power, and the persistence to carry out his purposes through our lives. We are all SMALL in size, but God is the great miraculous wonder worker of all. Share YOUR experiences and ideas and dreams and aspirations and beliefs with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis