Big Picture: Small Details

In the book of Luke, chapter 1 we are told about the angel's visit to Zachariah to inform him that he and his wife, Elizabeth would have a son. 

Not an ordinary child by any means, but one who would be great in the sight of the Lord. He would prepare the way for Jesus! Prepare the way for the savior of the world, who would bless all people! What a huge, life changing honor. Elizabeth would carry a child already filled with the Holy Spirit in her womb! Dramatic headline news!

Then you look down to verse 25, one little verse, where Elizabeth quietly thanks God for taking away the disgrace of her baroness. 

So Elizabeth, carrying a child already filled with the Holy Spirit, who was destined to prepare the way for the Son of God who would take away the sins of the world and provide salvation for all mankind, was grateful to God for answering her personal prayers for a baby.

We know it's about God and His will, not about us. But I can't help but feel that when we come to Him in sincere prayer, He hangs on our every word. When we cry, He cries, and when we laugh with delight, He joins in. 

Mighty God who can be 100% with us in the small details of our lives and still be 100% present in the big picture of humanity and His kingdom. He sends storms into our lives in part to show us who we are, but the same hand that is on the valve that lets trouble into our lives, for our growth and God's holy purpose, will someday wipe our tears away. 

Relentless Pursuit

My cousin was a “Bicycle Cop” in east Texas for several years.  The mental image that title brought to mind always gave me an inner snicker, until I began to learn more of his abilities and accomplishments!  Once in pursuit it was rare, if ever, that the perpetrator escaped him.

One Saturday evening on patrol, my cousin and his partner rode up to a group of guys gathered in a remote corner of the City Park.  As they approached, the group scattered on foot in all directions.  The largest and seemingly leader of the gang raced out of the park, across main street, between buildings, through a parking lot, and finally headed full steam down a residential sidewalk.  Panting and near played out he looked over and there was my cousin gliding alongside him on his bike.  My cousin looked back at the drug dealer and said, “When you get tired, we’ll stop!!”  At that, the exhausted drug dealer collapsed and was promptly apprehended!

Countless times in my ramshackled and ailing past, I have looked over my shoulder to see the Lord in pursuit and hear Him say “When you get tired we’ll stop, and I will not apprehend, but will heal.”  

The “challenge” was to stay stopped!  But each time I made the effort, it became easier to linger with the Lord just a little longer and sure enough, a healing process truly did begin.  

DG

All of Creation Cries Out

We are told in the first verse of the book of John that Jesus was the Word. He was God, was with God in the beginning, and with God in the creation of the universe; that nothing was created without Him. Then Jesus came down to walk on the planet that he had designed and created in every detail. He experienced what He had made firsthand. He put on a body that He had designed and formed from dust and breathed life into; made in God's image. He lived 30 years on this planet, that He had carefully balanced in orbit around the sun with the moon to hold it in place. He watched the sunsets, smelled the flowers, ate the fruit from the trees and commanded the wind and the waves to be still. He said the stones would cry out and praise Him if the people were silenced while riding on an unbroken colt through a noisy crowd! All of His creation obeyed His commands. It is not surprising, that when he died on the cross with the sins of the world on him, his creation reacted! It became dark in the day, there was an earthquake, and the dead came out of their tombs and walked. I wonder, did the birds pause in flight? Did the Lions roar? Did the angels cry? Almighty, all powerful, God the Creator had died. 

Then, on that first Easter Sunday, didn't the earth and the heavens rejoice? Perhaps even the wind carried a sigh of relief. The tomb was empty! Satan was defeated! And the sins of the world were paid for. Praise God! The Creator is alive and lives forever, and so will we!