Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: God Treasures the Small Things

(Photo belongs to NASA Science)

Did you know there is a narrow gap within Saturn's rings? The Keeler Divide, a mere 25 miles wide, exists because of a tiny five-mile wide moon called Daphnis. Its gravity sculpts the rings around it, creating ripples and grooves in the majestic rings.

Daphnis is an illustration of how small things can matter even in a larger environment.

When the Jewish people returned from Babylonian exile, they were sluggish about rebuilding the temple. Perhaps they realized their resources were slim and the new temple could never match the splendor of Solomon's. Through the prophet and priest Zechariah, God encouraged them to undertake the work, with God's spirit enabling the progress and dwelling in the finished product. As so often happens, the initial steps were quite modest. But God declared through the prophet (Zechariah 4:10, NLT), "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin."

We often think of our own work as modest and small. But God takes pleasure in our efforts and appreciates even the smallest steps. After all, when we bring our tiny offering of bread and fish to Jesus, he can multiply it, just as he did when feeding the five thousand.

The small moon Daphnis in God's glorious Saturn creation reminds us we can influence the world and serve God's kingdom, creating ripples and grooves as we travel through life. And God rejoices, enables, and dwells in the "little temples" we build with our contributions and our very lives.

There's a story behind my new Advent video study, "The Misfits of Christmas." Learn about it in under two minutes by visiting CecilTaylorMinistries.com/the-misfits-of-Christmas