Insignificant
Such a big word to describe a small matter! Insignificant means too small or unimportant to be worth consideration. There is a push right now to get rid of the penny. We’d have to round by fives if this was the case! It would mess up a lot of things. A penny is important. It may not be worth much anymore, how far can you get with a penny? But if you miss a paying a penny in change or on a bill, you could be in trouble!
Imagine you see someone write a check for one million dollars for a charity. They must ask how to spell the charity’s name. Then, they misspell the charity and don’t even know the full cause, “oh, they do that too?” you over hear them say. But that check, wow! That’s the number one, followed by six zeros. $1,000,000! The generous person received a tax break and a plaque at the charity with their picture and it was said that there was going to be a building named after the benefactor!
The same day a woman came in that came in every week doing light chores for the charity for no pay, just because she could offer it. She walked up the desk and gave them the last part of her social security check, not knowing what she would do. The secretary looked at it, it was only $1.02. The secretary laughed, “Lady, don’t you know it’s going to cost me more time and effort to cash this? I mean it wouldn’t even be worth mailing! We had a person come into today and wrote a check for one million dollars! That’s the number one followed by six zeros!” The lady smiled and said, “Honey, I’m so glad, please when you deposit that one million dollars, make sure it’s one million and one dollars and two cents!”
We don’t know what part of the money would go to help the charity, that one dollar and two cents could buy a meal, a coat, an opportunity.
This is nothing new, many people try to buy favor, power, or popularity. This has been true since the beginning of time but look at what happened in Jesus’ day; “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. Mark 12:41-44.” The rich were just casting in much and Jesus didn’t bat an eye. He knew their hearts. Then this poor widow woman came up, her husband gone with his livelihood and she walked up to the treasury and gave her two mites. Two mites are actually worth LESS than a penny. Jesus called his disciples, “Come here, look at this, pay attention!” He taught them a valuable lesson about little is much when your heart is in it. There is a hymn that says, “Little is much if God is in it.” People want to talk about how insignificant something is, but we never know the impact of those actions. Think about this, there are 7 billion people in the world but here you are, in this time and space living and breathing for a purpose. We could say that we are insignificant, but God doesn’t think so! The Bible says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:29-32.” The sparrows are cared about, and God cares about us much more than sparrows! Nothing is too insignificant to pray for or tell to God Almighty. He cares what you care about, because if it takes up your thoughts, He wants to hear from you!
Imagine your thoughts filled with dread and wondering how you’re going to be a leader when you’re questioning yourself. You would feel mighty insignificant. That’s why God is there! Gideon was a military leader for the Israel army and God wanted to show the people a miracle. There was an enemy that was fixing to be at war with Israel, it was known someone was going to lose. There was a lot of them, in fact it was a huge army of two countries, like the enemy of my enemy is my friend. These two countries joined forces to defeat the Israelites. “And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. Judges 7:12.” There was so many they couldn’t be counted, not even their camels! There was a bunch of Israelites too, it was a mighty army ready to fight. But God said, whoa, wait, that’s too many. Now, if there was a million-man army you would want one million or two million in your army! But God had a plan, doesn’t He always? “And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.” So, God narrowed what looks like about 33,000 soldiers to ten thousand after they were told to go home if they were scared. A truly scared soldier isn’t a resource, there can be nerves but not fear. 10,000 soldiers is still a lot so God gave the second command to go to the water and drink. Now there were two camps of people, one camp lapped like an animal in the water while there was another camp that drank from their hand. The reason that God told the ones that lapped like an animal to leave is that they couldn’t pay attention to what was around them and could get ambushed. The ones who brought the water to their mouths could look alert and listen as well. So off goes the three hundred, “So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley. And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand….” Three hundred men against hundred of thousands of soldiers? Come on now, those aren’t fair odds! And it wouldn’t be if God wasn’t on their side. “…. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon. So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” Picture it, it’s dead of night and the enemies are sleeping. The Israelites have spread out their 300 all around the perimeter with a hand torch in each hand and a pitcher. Three hundred men brake the pitchers and yelled, “The sword of the Lord and Gideon!” Talk about a sight to see! Did it work though? “And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. Judges 7:2-9, 16-21.” It worked! God was with them and showed the Israelites that truly, little is much when God is in it! God can use us to make a big noise for Him and whenever we feel small in number, maybe at church or in a crowd we can remember, God can use any number for His will and purpose! Look at what the scripture here says about some small members of creation, “There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. Proverbs 24-28.” These small creatures balance out our world and we are seeing that now with the endangerment of the honeybee, we need to be mindful of the little things because it can become a big problem if we neglect them! Same way with matters in our life!
Perhaps you don’t feel like God can solve your problems, they are too many, but God can and will if we allow Him to work in our lives. We may not like all the answers or outcomes, but it will be for His good and for His glory and will work out for us in the long run, even into eternity!
Speaking of feeling small and insignificant what about that time you went up against that huge problem that no one thought you’d be able to tackle and accomplish? You remember that? All the people who said it couldn’t be done, no way, no how? You were stuck between a rock and a hard place, I’m sure you remember. Well, you aren’t the only one. There was another enemy this time and he wasn’t insignificant, in fact he was over 9 feet tall and a bully! But was brought down by an insignificant thing. A shepherd boy came from the hills to give his brothers some food and heard the commotion. The Israelites were scared, you’d think they’d remember Gideon’s victory passed down from the elders but no, they were shaking and quaking and felt very small and powerless. So, the shepherd boy spoke up and the king heard him, “And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. 1 Samuel 17:32-37.” David was small but full of confidence and gusto for God and defeating giants. David didn’t let the size of the giant bother him. He didn’t let nothing bother him, not even the weapon with what Saul gave him. Saul gave him a sword and armor but didn’t use it. He walked up to the war-hardened giant and starting proclaiming God’s victory. David says, “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. 1 Samuel 17:46-51.” God has a way of making your problems flee! No matter how big or little they are. But look at how David killed Goliath, not with a sword but with a stone. A rock. A small thing that no one really thinks about. David killed his giant with a rock and we can kill our giant problems with a rock too but it’s not small or unimportant. The Bible says, “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalms 62:1-2,5-8.” We can throw our help line around the rock that is Christ Jesus, just as those before threw their faith around God during their times of trouble. Giving ourselves as firm and sure foundation is the key for our faith. As Jesus tells us to use wisdom, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:24-27.” Rain is small by itself, it’s just a drop of water. One drop of water may not change much but many drops of water can change the soil. But it starts with one drop that may seem insignificant just like one rock seemed insignificant but look at what it can do! One drop of rain started the flood and then it just kept starting from there. Nothing is truly insignificant it all matters.
There was a significantly large crowd gathered to hear Jesus speak one day and it was getting close to dinner time. There was probably some unrest and some growling stomachs heard in the crowd. The disciples brought this to Jesus and He was the man with the plan! “But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. For they were about five thousand men.” 5,000 men, that’s not counting the women and kids that were there! It is estimated that there was about 10,000 people there to hear Jesus. What a time to hear God’s word! The disciples were like, all we have is 5 loaves and two fish unless you want us to go buy meat for all these people. Could you imagine THAT grocery bill? My goodness! Jesus was fixing to do something amazing. “And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets. Luke 9:13-17.” Not only did Jesus feed thousands of people with two fish and five loaves of bread, there were left overs! Not sure if anyone got a doggie bag but still, left overs! Talk about taking something so small and making it a great occasion that no one ever forgot. If Jesus can take one little thing and turn into a bunch of awesome things, isn’t it worth it? He may not do it every time for us, but as the saying goes, “it’s in the little things that count” is very true. These were little things that ended up with big results.
Don’t believe little things can do great wonders? Look at your mouth, that little muscle called the tongue that enables us to speak is very small but very powerful. The words we say can have a tremendous impact in the world around us. We see it today in the media and in our own lives. The Bible recounts it, “Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! James 3:3-5.” It just takes one spark to start a fire and it just takes one word to cause a revolution or a rebellion. We need to use our words wisely, even though they may seem unimportant or not impactful they are. Today’s digital age may decrease us from physically talking but it’s still the same process, the words form in our head and we spew them out on a screen using our fingers as the vehicle. We are not immune from the consequences of our words. The Bible is a book among millions, but it outshines the rest because the Author is living and using His word to constantly touch the reader. Such as this about our small member, the tongue, “Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. Psalms 52:1-7.” That is what our tongue can end up doing for us, it can pave a way to Hell or ask for salvation. You can use your mouth for good when you decide to give up on yourself and devote your life to God Almighty who loved you and gave Himself for you. Here’s how you can do it or share with others it’s found in Romans 10, “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach ;That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:8-13.” That moment you ask Christ as your Savior isn’t small moment but a glorious moment that sends shouts across Heaven! What a blessing! Let your voice be heard in Heaven!
So, what about you and me? What’s so special about us, I mean we are in a population in 7 billion people. That’s a lot of folks. Yet here we are in our own minds in our own bodies, making decisions that impact ourselves and others on a daily basis. We may not think ourselves as something special, but God says we are. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.” We are bought with a price, a price that was paid by Jesus, one innocent man dying for the billions of guilty souls. We are important and worth the price, let us share that good news instead of all the fake news that doesn’t mean anything.
Finally, ponder this, in the past, King David was one among millions of people, but we see him as important (and he broke how many commandments??) In our time we see Billy Graham was one person among billions of people is he insignificant? And eternally, Jesus Christ was one in about three hundred million people, but He was the MVP but was still just one man. It is said one man cannot change the world, but history would beg to differ. We would say these people are important for the cause of the gospel. David even says, “I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts. Psalms 119:141.” You may think that your work is for nothing but if it’s for the Lord it is not forgotten nor is it unfruitful! Keep on working for God no matter what it is, if it’s praying, cooking, cleaning, spending time, preaching, teaching, giving money, or whatever you do for the glory of God, keep doing it! The scripture tells us, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31.” Even your breath is precious, your thoughts and your tears. You do not go unnoticed. You are loved and God sees you. Don’t let the world tell you that you are nothing. Without God you are, but with God you are blood bought and Heaven bound! God will continue to work through you if you let Him, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6.” Amen! There are no little matters to God concerning you. "Sainthood lies in the habit of referring the smallest actions to God."- C. S. Lewis. If it concerns you, it concerns God. Don’t think you are bothering God with your prayers or your matters, He wants to hear from you. He cares because He loves you, but do you care for Him? Do you want to hear from God? Is God tucked into a small corner of your heart and you just pull Him out when you’re in trouble or is He a big deal in your life that shines and gives you hope? Your thoughts and eternal reflections towards God is no small matter! Make the big decision today, it’ll be the best decision you made among so many small ones!