The God of the Small Things
September 27, 2016
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. -Zechariah 4:10
Here’s what Dr. McGee had to say about this verse:
“‘For who hath despised the day of small things?’ I can tell you who has—we despise the day of small things. We Americans are impressed with the big and brassy. We like our Christian work to be a success story. And we measure success by the size of the building and the crowds that come to it. Well, I am becoming more and more convinced that the Lord is working in quiet ways and in quiet places today. I am talking to myself when I say that we should quit despising small things.”
By the grace of God, the ministry of Thru the Bible is very large both in terms of scope and depth. But these words of Dr. McGee’s are a powerful reminder that we must always remember that God is often at work in what we would call the small things.
Some months ago, a man came to the TTB office to share his burden for the people of Chad, a former French colony known as “the Dead Heart of Africa” due to its harsh desert climate. Eighty percent of the people live below the poverty line. This brother told us of the great need for Bible teaching for people living in a huge refugee camp in Chad.
We began a small project: To ship and distribute 100 solar-powered players with the entire TTB-French series and the entire audio Bible in French. We also sent twenty Arabic players, as the country is more than 50% Muslim and many speak Arabic.
We began by sending a test shipment of ten players because it can often be difficult to get these devices through Customs (the government agency that controls the flow of material into and out of a country). It turned out we were right. The Customs officials held this small box with ten audio players and required the recipient to come be interrogated about them. The pastor from Chad had to travel many hours to the city and was then interrogated over the course of three days! Finally, his case was elevated to the top Customs official in the country. When the pastor met with him, the official said, “My sister has just become a Christian. May I have one for her?” Of course, the pastor said yes and he joyfully returned with the remaining nine players. Because of this meeting, the top Customs official said that they would immediately approve any future shipments of these devices!
We sent another shipment of forty-five players, and they got through immediately. Then some weeks later, I received this email:
Dear Brother,
I was very pleased hearing that the brothers in Chad donated two TTB audio players to two different evangelists who are using it to reach out to the blind. In Africa, once one is blind he becomes a burden to society, as he is not productive. Even pastors don’t care much about them because they have nothing to offer. This young evangelist is reaching out to the blind and starting house fellowships in their homes. This is very encouraging, and I am pleased to be part of these new things God is doing among our brethren.
When I first saw the pictures of this young evangelist ministering to these blind people who are ostracized by society, I was deeply moved. What seems a “small thing” in the global ministry of TTB (sending a few players to a remote country in Africa) will make an eternal difference in the lives of these precious souls.
Let’s all remember that our Lord is the God of the Small Things. Never forget that in your own life … there are no small things with God!
- Gregg Harris, TTB President