My mother had misplaced her keys one day and searched all over our home with no luck. She was getting more and more upset by the moment, and I suggested that she stop and pray. I said that God knows where those keys are. She looked at me and replied that she couldn’t ask God to help her find her keys because He had more important requests to answer than that. I was surprised by her response. There had been many times when I had asked God to help me find something, and He did just that. Why is it that we think that God only cares about the big things when the details in a situation are just as crucial?
To prove my point, we have only to look at the Old Testament books of Exodus and Leviticus. Did God not give extremely detailed instructions on how to build the Tabernacle, the altar and other features? If he did not care for details, I seriously doubt they would all be recorded in Scripture. In addition, He gave very specific direction to the Children of Israel regarding their conduct, offerings and ritual cleansings. He is, indeed, a God who is in the details.
Jesus made a statement about our worth and the details of our life that should be a great encouragement to us all. In Matthew 10:29-31, He said: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.” If God knows all the details of our lives (and He does), then we ought to rejoice that nothing is too small for Him to help us with.
Take another example. Jesus fulfilled about 300 of the Old Testament prophecies made about the Messiah according to the scholars down to the place of His birth, His suffering, and His resurrection. Again, we see God in the details letting His people know what He has planned for them. How well Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day when He said: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). So why is it that we think that God doesn’t care about lost car keys, a sick animal, or the many other day to day details of our life?
One of the reasons is because we do not see God as big enough to care about these issues in our life. Didn’t the Apostle Paul encourage us to take everything to God in prayer? After all, God made us and knows we are weak, sinful and frail in this world. He sought us before we ever sought Him that we might be saved from sin and death. If He cares that much, will He not care about the small things that trouble us in this life?
A hymn that was dear to my father says is well: “ Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer “(What a Friend We Have in Jesus) . In this season of celebration when we look to the the cradle in a manger, let us not forget that Jesus came for us. He lives to ever make intercession for us before the throne of God both in the big things and the details of our life. Let us carry everything to God in prayer knowing that He hears us when we call. May this encourage your heart today! Selah!
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