Daily Details
Do you believe that God cares about the little things? The daily details? This is a great question to really check what you think about God. What do you actually believe about His character? It can be so easy to go to God in our crisis, in the hard place. I can think of several stories that I love to tell about how there was a HUGE need in my life. God showed up and blessed us over and over. We love to tell the big stories. Human nature is drawn to the extraordinary. What about the day to day?
Finances: When it seems there is no way to pay for something, we go to God. Do you ever just pray about your finances when there is no need? Jesus talks about money constantly. It keeps people from entering the kingdom. (Mark 10:17-27) It clearly has a weighty gravity on human nature. What would it practically look like to include God in your finances?
Health: Here is another area where we normally go big. I have been struggling to lose weight for almost 6 years. I can no longer do the workouts that I enjoy because of a heart issue. I was mad at God for that. Over time, I began to just be thankful for the health that I did enjoy. As I am struggling anew, I realized that I have never made my health part of my prayer life. I shared my anger but never asked for health. I have a strong addiction to Dr Pepper. I don’t drink coffee so soda is my main caffeine intake. I finally started praying for relief from that addiction. When I pray about it, it gets easier and easier. When I start doing well and slack off, so do my prayers. I am not thanking God for that rescue or asking for continuance in it. What could it look like to take all concerns of health to God?
Relationships: I recently started back to counseling. I am a firm believer in it. Objective voices in your life are super important. I learned the greatest lesson about relationships though from a conviction in church rather than a counselor. Pray for your relationships. My best friend and I had a huge falling out. We didn’t speak for a year even though we attended the same home group. We both had independent mentoring from our church during this time. In a sermon about praying for the unbelieving loved ones in your life to be saved, I was shown something about my bestie. I was trying to rescue her. She got mad at me for being harsh and judgmental and I couldn’t believe that she was rejecting my love. I was trying to be her savior instead of taking our relationship to God in prayer. I never once prayed FOR her in that time. I am sure you have someone in your life right now where your relationship isn’t what you want. Have you prayed for that person? Have you prayed to be shown your own sin in that situation?
Matthew 7:7-11
We are inherently sinful and yet we can see kindness and grace. We can show gratitude and know what it is to receive it. These ideas come from a higher power. It is not in nature to give oneself for another. We see in Job a glimpse of the things that God pays attention to. In Chapter 39:1-8 alone God makes mention of his watching over:
mountain goats and where they give birth, they time they are born and how long they will live. He watches over them growing up, leaving their parents and becoming strong. He watches them go out into fields on their own
wild donkeys: He watches over land, arid and salt lands to dwell in free and loose from bonds. He knows what the donkey thinks, that he doesn’t like the cities and ignores his driver. God knows the donkey’s desire for anything green and will search the mountains for it.
How much more than does God care about His people? Luke 12:6-7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Why do we need to know the going rate of sparrows? Matthew 10:29 tells us that one could buy two sparrows for one copper coin. Here we learn that five sparrows cost two copper coins. There was a discount for buying more, from .5 copper coin per sparrow to .4 copper coin per sparrow. The people did not value each sparrow the same. First of all, God knew the going rate of sparrows in ancient Israel. He definitely cares about little things. Secondly, he used such a little thing to make His point. Jesus can keep track of it all so then He can use it all. God doesn’t waste.
My family has so many stories of little things, foundations being poured in snow, garlic toast, dogs and trips to Disney. These are like the bricks of the foundation on which the “big” things rest. Our confidence in asking for the big things can come from desperation or from confidence.
I encourage you to really ask yourself if you believe that God cares about the daily details of your day? Do you take those things to Him in prayer? It is the daily, prayful life that sustains. If we want God to be our friend, we should expect to treat Him like one. He’s worth it.
