Zechariah 4:10
“For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.”
For several years I have owned Rottweilers. We got each of these dogs when they were puppies. When you look at them as puppies, you can’t imagine how big they will get, but trust me, they do get big. What used to be a little puppy that everyone thought was so cute has now grown up into a big beautiful dog. We had to keep in mind when we got the dogs that they were not always going to be small.
God asks, “For who hath despised the day of small things?…” This was asked because when the temple foundation was laid in the Book of Ezra, the priests, Levites and ancient men who had seen the previous temple began to weep. They wept because it was of no comparison to the size and beauty of the first. In the verse above, God reminded these men that though what they saw seemed small would one day be the very foundation where Jesus Christ would set up His kingdom. Though it was small in comparison, it wouldn’t always be small. God wanted these men to give this temple a chance to grow instead of condemning what they perceived as irrelevant.
What I love about this verse is that God is reminding us that He is God of the small as well as the big. What is small now will grow if we give it a chance. God is just as concerned with the small things as He is with the big things. He is concerned with the “small” preacher just as He is the with “big name” preacher. God is concerned with the “small” person just as much as He is with the “big” person. God is not impressed with the bigness of a person or church because they are all of the same value to Him.
Friend, don’t take for granted what seems to be small. What you don’t understand is that small ministries can grow into large ministries, but they will do so over time. The temple foundation that God was talking about in the verse above has yet to see its big day, but it will when He sets up His kingdom. Many pastors and churches have become discouraged because they want to see great growth immediately, but growth happens over time. Don’t despise what you have right now just because it seems small.
Moreover, be careful about condemning the younger preacher. Young preachers will one day grow up. They may not have the depth of the seasoned man of God, but God will give them greater truths if they continue preaching truth. Don’t destroy them while they are small. Realize that God can do something great through them if they are encouraged.
Furthermore, be careful about despising the smaller ministry. They may not seem to be making a great impact, but if they will stay faithful they will find that God will bless them. Many people have given up on a great ministry in its infancy because it didn’t seem to have immediate growth only to regret leaving the ministry after its growth came several years after their departure.
Let me encourage those struggling with “small” ministries not to give up. It will grow if you will stay faithful. To those who are a bit critical of the small things, let God’s words be an admonishment when He asks, “…who hath despised the day of small things?” Instead of despising the small things, be the encouragement they need until their day of God’s blessings.