For an Audience of One
Psalm 139:17, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!” (NLT).
The other day I was telling a dear friend about The Fervent Life ministry God has led my husband and I to start. I mentioned my podcast and joked “We might be the only ones listening to it but that’s okay.”
She smiled and said “Well God is listening to it, and it makes Him happy.”
That comment struck me. It even made me tear up a little because of the picture it painted of my Heavenly Father. I imagined Him sitting down at His computer (not a theologically sound picture I know but hey it’s a metaphor) eagerly waiting for me to record my podcast so He could listen to it. I imagined Him showing up every single time even when no one else did. And He never lost His excitement. It never got old for Him to watch me step out in faith and do the things He’d laid on my heart to do.
He never lost His ecstatic joy of listening to me talk about how much I loved Him, and happy tears brimmed His eyes when I tried to tell the world what an incredible Heavenly Father He was. He cared about my small steps of faith. He treasured my awkward attempts to please Him. And He delighted in the small beginnings of our ministry because even though it looked small to the world it meant the world to Him.
Take away the “Him sitting down at His computer” part and you have the truth. When we read the Scriptures in their entirety we know that God took great care in creating each of us as individuals, and He cares deeply about our unique, individual lives. We know that God delights in us as His children and He rejoices over us with joyful songs. We know He thinks about us often. He takes note of every tear we cry, and He knows the number of hairs on our heads. We know that He sees the things we do for Him even when no one else does and He rewards us. We also know that He rejoices in the things we do for Him and the steps of faith we take, no matter how small. Because He’s not concerned with how epically huge it turns out to be. He takes great joy in our small beginnings and our meager offerings because we're His children and He loves us.
Question: Are you discouraged with your small beginnings? Are you embarrassed because the impact you thought was going to be so big looks so small? Are you afraid God is disappointed with you?
Psalm 139:13 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (NIV).
Zephaniah 3:17 “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (NLT).
Isaiah 43:4 “…You are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you” (NLT).
Matthew 6:4 “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (NIV).
Zechariah 4:10 “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin” (NLT).