Little Things and Small Beginnings

As we go about our daily lives, we have many experiences and encounters that we have trouble recalling as time goes by. Many seem insignificant at the time.

Zechariah and Haggai were prophets among the Jewish exiles who were allowed to return to Jerusalem from Babylon where they were in captivity for 70 years. The temple had been destroyed when they were deported, so they resolved to build a new temple as their first priority. Zechariah, along with fellow prophet Haggai, encouraged the people to build. However, their structure was not going to come close to the grandeur of Solomon’s temple. They didn’t have the resources, and experienced much opposition from the people around them.

Haggai’s words to the old ones who remembered the first temple recognized their disappointment in the new one. But he addressed their sadness by prophesying the future. He alluded to the new temple called the church, which would be established by the coming of the Messiah, saying “the latter glory of this house will be greater than the former.” (Haggai 2:9).

Zechariah gave similar words, saying “who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10). He also said, “a man whose name is Branch (Messiah) will branch out from where He is, and He will build the temple of the LORD.” (Zechariah 6:13).

The two prophets were speaking of Jesus the Messiah, who would be the fulfillment of all of the physical temples that had been built, and who would satisfy all of their deepest longings. That seemingly insignificant act of rebuilding a scaled-down temple had huge implications for the future of God’s people.

We don’t know whether our small, insignificant activities will grow much bigger and more important than we could imagine.

Joseph in Prison

One of the best biblical examples of this is Joseph. Joseph was unjustly imprisoned in the Pharaoh’s jail. God’s favor rested on Joseph, and he was put in charge of the operation of the jail by the chief jailer. In that capacity, he interacted with all of the prisoners. One day two of the Pharaoh’s servants were confined there. In Genesis 40 we read about this seemingly insignificant episode in Joseph’s life. Joseph saw them the morning after their internment, and observed that they seemed dejected. So he asked a simple question. “Why are your faces so sad today?”

That simple question, borne out of Joseph’s compassion, ignited a series of events that culminated in Joseph’s promotion to Pharaoh’s executive officer, second in command of all Egypt. Joseph’s administration accomplished the saving of many lives through the famine that he predicted, and he was reunited with his family who moved to Egypt. They would later be rescued by God through Moses and brought into the Promised Land. It was a key moment in the history of God’s people, the Jews, and even of us today!

God at Work in a Russian Gulag
A more recent example occurred in a Russian concentration camp, or “gulag” in the 1950s. A Jewish doctor named Boris Kornfleld had become a Christian in the camp. He began to see God working in that desolate place, and started helping sick prisoners by breaking some of the camp rules. Fearing for his life, he came to a place where he recognized that no punishment we receive in this life is undeserved. We are all sinners who are unworthy of the grace God offers to us. He was at peace, and felt that he had to tell someone. One night, Dr. Kornfield examined a young patient he was working with, and began to tell him of his experiences. The next morning, the young man heard that Dr. Kornfield had been murdered in his sleep shortly after his visit and confession. What he had heard from the doctor affected him deeply. He too became a Christian and survived the camp. His name was Alexander Solzhenitzyn. He went on to write books that exposed the conditions of the gulags. He became in some ways the “conscience” of the Soviet Union. His writing and speaking was influential in the eventual dissolution of that empire. (This story is told in the book “Loving God” by Charles Colson).

Which of our “insignificant” encounters could be that important and influential? We don’t know, but some of them could be.

Some things we can learn from Joseph and Dr. Kornfield:
1. Joseph observed the two new prisoners and their sadness. How many times do we go on our way not noticing the people around us?
2. He had compassion on them. Dr. Cornfield had compassion for his young patient who was very sick. We are told many times how Jesus had compassion on those around him.
3. Joseph spoke to the prisoners out of his compassion, asking the question that led to great things. Dr. Kornfield shared his God experiences with his patient, not knowing that this would be his last encounter on earth.

Observe, have compassion, speak!

Don’t despise the day of small things, small beginnings! Every encounter we have has the potential to develop into something significant. Our small acts of kindness and compassion could change lives, neighborhoods, towns, states, or countries. Only God knows.

And time is of the essence. We don’t know which day will be our last on this earth. Only God knows.

Our job: to walk as Jesus walked, to observe our surroundings, to have compassion, to listen to his voice, to obey his every instruction, to walk by his Spirit. Don’t miss opportunities, one of them could be our last! As Zechariah also said, “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6). We can only do this by his strength.

God’s job: to use us, as he has used so many of his people in the past, to accomplish his purposes!