Have you ever heard that some people are headlines and others are the articles? Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “I’m a big picture person.” What they’re saying is that they don’t like the small, detailed work. I once took a behavioral assessment at work. It said that when it comes to sales, I like to go for the high risk, high reward sales. I preferred those to the low hanging fruit sales. I’ve been the type of person who tries to hit a home run every time. The problem with that mentality is that success in whatever God has called us to do is built one, small step at a time. You have to start with a Timex watch and not a Rolex. You can get there by focusing on the details while keeping your eye on the big picture.
In Zechariah 4, Zechariah had seen a vision of the Temple. He saw a golden lamp stand, some oil, other lamps and two olive trees. Keeping the lamps filled with oil, trimming the wicks and keeping them lit was very tedious work. When he asked what it was, the Lord told him that his message to Zerubbabel was that it wasn’t by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit. He also told him that not even a mountain could stand before him insinuating that success is in the little things. Zerubbabel was a civic leader tasked with completing the Temple and God said he would finish such a great task that had stalled. God showed Zechariah that the Temple would be finished and the final stone would be laid by Zerubbabel.
God’s message to them and to us can be found in verse 10. He said, ”Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand” (NLT). I don’t know what God has called you to, but I do know that it’s greater than your abilities and capabilities. It can be overwhelming to think about. However, it won’t be by your strength or by your might that it is accomplished. It will be by the strength of the Lord. I also know that if you lay the foundation, take it one step at a time and trust God, no financial mountain, no skill gap mountain, or any mountain will be able to stand in your way. Don’t despise the small, detailed work. When you’re faithful in the little things, God can trust you with the big things.
Photo by Jukan Tateisi on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 