God Is in the Details

OPENING ILLUSTRATION/STORY/OBJECT LESSON:

There is an ancient Indian legend of a king who loved chess. He often challenged visitors to a game and was usually victorious. A traveling sage visited the kingdom one day and was challenged to a game. To entice him to play, the king offered to give the sage whatever reward he wanted if he won. The king was defeated, and to honor his word, he asked the sage what prize he would like. The sage asked for one grain of rice to be placed on the first square of the chessboard, and then double it on each following square.

The request seemed modest, and the king ordered a bag of rice to be brought. One grain was placed on the first square, two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth and so on. But it quickly became apparent that the terms of the request were impossible to meet. By the twenty-first square, more than one million grains of rice would be required. By the forty-first square the total would go over one billion—with nearly half of the chessboard still left to go.

Never underestimate the small details in your life; they can serve as the key answer which you seek.

Let’s look at that word detail more closely. This word has several meanings. According to Merriam-Webster, it means “a part of a whole,” or “attention to particular items.” It also means “a selection of a person or group for a particular task (as in military service).”

It is this last definition that frames our thoughts today, but it doesn’t necessarily have to mean troops or law enforcement. It could be in regard to a small, seemingly insignificant aspect of your life where God offers a focused or special assignment—one that will play a transformative role for you in the days ahead.

That is the essence of faith. What we believe now, even when we do not see anything, will have a return in the future. If we put our faith in Christ before seeing the big picture, He will use ordinary ways to produce extraordinary results that will be miraculous and inspire anyone who hears your story.

By itself, the details you have may seem small, but in the hands of God who has the power to exponentially grow that which He has given to you, they are not. You may find yourself in the middle of great blessing and provision where God takes the details of a little faith, a little vessel, and a little need to create a great miracle.

No matter where you are at this moment in your life, there are details that God intends to use to demonstrate His presence, His power, and His provision. Let’s start with the first detail that we should never overlook.

God Uses Our Faith to Demonstrate His Presence

2 Kings 4:1–2 NIV

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

Our story begins with a woman. Recently widowed, she was likely a godly woman. Her husband had a prior association to the prophet Elisha, but she was in a tough situation. Her husband had died, and the debts were piled high—so much so she was threatened to have her kids sent into slavery to work off the debts.

And yet, while she seemingly had nothing, she had a detail not to be overlooked.

She had faith. Faith in God is the one detail we freely have but is often the hardest to gain. But this widow believed.

She believed in God, and she believed Elisha spent time with God enough to share her burden with him.

The Scripture doesn't say the widow had incredible faith in God. We don't see her declaring the promises of God or Scripture over her situation. She didn't even directly ask for help; she simply shared her need. Clearly, she was in trouble due to the loss of her husband and scared of losing her home and sons to debt collectors.

But she had enough faith to simply tell another believer about her situation with the hope that God might use him to intervene.

Jesus reminds us that it’s our possession of faith that matters, not the amount we may have. In Matthew 17:20 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

Faith enough to share her situation was all she had to give. Yet that simple detail kickstarted the beginning of change for the widow and her desperate situation.

She reached out and Elisha responded. Not only was he open to be used by God for miracles, but he was also interested in her need. He asked how he could help. What does she have? What is there to use?

With this small detail of faith, the presence of God was with her, giving her hope that not all was lost.

Never underestimate the power of faith, the beckoning power of a call, and the faithful answer of His response. It doesn’t take much, just a detail of faith to bring us into His presence.

ILLUSTRATION/STORY/QUOTE:

We should mind little things—little courtesies in life, little matters of personal appearance, little extravagances, little minutes of wasted time, little details in our work.

And it seems that a thing cannot be too small to command our attention.

· The first hint Newton had leading to his most important discoveries came from a child's soap bubble.

· The art of printing was suggested by a man cutting letters in the bark of a tree.

· The telescope was the outcome of a boy's amusement with two glasses in his father's shop.

· Goodyear neglected his skillet until it was red hot and the accident guided him to the manufacture of vulcanized rubber.

· The web of a spider suggested to Captain Brown the idea of a suspension bridge.

· Henry Ford's idea about a perfect watch plant gave him a plan for his giant motor industry.

· J. L. Kraft's idea to put cheese in a sanitary package was the start of his enormous business.

Little things. Every one of those was a little thing. Yet how important they proved to be to the person who had the wisdom to correlate these little things with the idea in his head.[i]

APPLICATION:

We often only have a little bit to offer, but our charge is to offer what we have to a God who can do much with a little. That is the gift of faith—that regardless of our circumstance, we believe in God to intervene. The widow’s small detail of faith brought her into conversation with Elisha and into an experience with God. She was no longer alone with her need.

When she started with faith, she received a response that showed God was present with her.

Where are you today? Are your needs so great that you cannot see a good result? What if you started with faith? Who is near to you that you can talk to? Do you know what you can begin with now? Start with the hope you have in Christ. Call upon Him, and He will not disappoint you.

No matter what you’re facing, start with that small detail you possess. It’s a great start.

We begin with the detail of faith, and then we observe a second detail: a request for faithfulness in order to see God demonstrate His power.

God Uses Our Faithfulness to Demonstrate His Power

2 Kings 4:2–3

2 Kings 4:2–3 NIV

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.

We just read Elisha asking the widow what she had in her house.

Do you hear the numbness in her reply? She simply said that she had nothing—but a small jar. Even after displaying her faith, she was still weary.

The exchange of your problem to His provision is a journey, not an immediate trade. We are still limited by what we have and must continue to trust in God’s power to deliver.

Elisha responded to her request with a question and a request of his own. His question: “What do you have?” Then his request: “Go and get as many jars as you can.”

What Elisha asked her to do was a hard thing. Essentially, he told her to go to her friends, family, and neighbors and ask for help.

His first question spoke to her limited ability, and his follow-up request spoke to her availability.

Would she do the hard things God required of her, even if it meant risking her dignity? She did go to Elisha for help, but what about this request?

Here’s the thing with ability: Every time we need God, we realize we cannot do whatever it is ourselves. Abilities are always limited. It’s the reason we need God to move. If we could do it ourselves, we wouldn’t have to ask for help. The widow had something, but not enough to take care of the situation herself. So, God spoke through Elisha to tell her to start with what she had and ask her if she was available and willing to go find more.

APPLICATION:

Our abilities alone will fall short. Although we are limited in what we have, we are offered a hand of help. God’s power is seen when He provides in ways that we cannot see. God overcomes our limitations with His abilities. Our faith starts us on the journey, and our faithfulness helps bridge the gap from our beginning to our result in Him. For the widow, she began to see God’s power in the faithfulness of her neighbors. They did not abandon her, but gave her the jars she needed. Full provision had not been realized, but she was making headway.

Sometimes we are given a hard task to fulfill rather than a simple handout. When that happens, are we available to be found faithful in the charge we are given? Will we trust in Him to deliver even if the method isn’t clear? Will you be found faithful in your belief journey?

Be encouraged in your journey and trust that His ways are more than your own.

In Isaiah 55:9 God said, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Regardless of how difficult the situation seems to be or how you feel about it, continue to believe. In that trust and continued faith, you will be found faithful.

God starts with a little faith to get started and then works in our faithfulness, resulting in fulfillment when He demonstrates an answer only He can provide.

God Uses Lasting Faith to Demonstrate His Provision

2 Kings 4:4–7 NIV

Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

Now here was a command she could follow—take what you have and pour the oil into the containers. But even that action still required a small detail of faith.

She had her oil and she had jars, but what good could a bunch of empty jars do for her? What she didn’t know yet was that God would provide where she could not. He would multiply the oil to fill all of the jars. But again, she had to make a choice. Would she believe that her little could be miraculously increased for her gain?

Can you imagine the doubts and questions she and her sons may have had? But she still closed the door and began to pour. When did her eyes open and her doubts change to wonder? At what moment did she realize God’s provision?

The widow’s faith resulted in so much oil that it filled every container she had. And in the end, she had enough to pay off her debts, freeing her sons from slavery and providing for their future.

It’s important to note that she didn’t see that provision until she assumed a posture of faith. She had to continue pouring the oil in order to receive the provision. Faith is part of an if-then statement. It is our part of the covenant agreement with God where if we believe in and trust Him, then He provides.

Just like Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, Ruth, Mary, and the disciples—if we believe, He will answer.

That is our charge. We serve a God whom we cannot see with our physical eyes but are charged to trust in.

The detail of faith is our key to salvation and restoration. It is the key to closeness with God. It is the key to His power and His provision. But always know real faith—faith that produces miracles—is never easy.

But it is worth it because this detail leads to our deliverance.

CLOSING CHALLENGE/APPLICATION: Call Katie Up

Many of us get caught up in the pain and won’t go through the procedure that will bring us our healing. But God calls us to believe in Him, just as little children with innocent faith. Walking in faith is hard and sometimes it hurts. Sometimes the things we are asked to do are difficult and we don’t understand.

Can you imagine the widow’s response when Elisha, this man of God, answered her request for help with what she had? She was reminded of her lack. Maybe even her pride was wounded.

Can you imagine the widow’s response when Elisha answered her request by telling her to ask for help from everyone she knew? She risked her dignity. She had to publicly share her need to collect objects she didn’t really value.

Can you imagine the widow’s response when Elisha answered her request by directing her to pour oil from one jar to another? Her reality was questioned.

How could God provide when she had only a little to start with along with items that did not belong to her?

But still she believed, and in the end, she thanked God for her hurting. He answered because she believed.

God used her faith for a special purpose. He not only answered her need but also gave her a story to share with those she sold the jars to in order to strengthen their faith and give her provision that lasted a lifetime.

Will you trust God with what little you have so that He can be found faithful through the great answer He provides?

Will you have faith? Will you be found faithful?

Come and offer this little detail of your life and see what incredible things God alone can do.

ALTAR RESPONSE:

End with personal prayer