Small in a Big World

Orion standing bright in God's big sky.

"To make us feel small in the right way is a function of art; men can only make us feel small in the wrong way." E. M. Forster

Ever have that feeling of realizing you are a small fish in a big pond?   Yup, me too.  Every time I see a beautiful sunset or Orion's striking starry frame on a clear night's sky.

And then your mind drifts to the time that God involves you in something big that only HE could orchestrate.

I stand amazed at God in those moments.  I stand so small in his Bigness.  I stand so humbled in His Presence.

There are days when God and only God can ask you roll away the stones of unbelief, and guess what happens?  He shows up and rolls the stone away from your hearts door and reveals His glory to you, in a real and personal way.

This really happens.  It really happened to me.

Oh God, You are the Lord of Lords, the wonder of all creation, now and for always...You Are the wonder of your mighty works.  God you are my God and I will always praise you.

Jesus changes everything, and there is no greater mystery.  And when I recognize God and all of His wonderful works, I can't help but feel small.  Like a small guppy in a huge world of sharks.  Such a small one. 

Tiny fins moving against the current.

One enemy that I face on my daily lap is myself.  My ego.  That is being redefined as I submit to God's wonderful and sovereign authority.  I realize I am nothing without Him.

"On the other hand, the critic who seeks to beef himself up at our expense diminishes no one but himself." ~ Seth Godin

My feelings of self-worth are being redefined too, and there is holy value to be found in God's worth.  

This feeling of smallness gives me motivation to find God's hugeness.

Humbling yourself before a Mighty and Holy God will benefit in His self-worth.

Suddenly I have purpose, I have drive, I have motivation, I have the where-with-all to be a part of something bigger than I could ever imagine.  More than I could ever dream of, the God connections that matter, godly relationships and being a part of God's plans.  

God gives godly guts.

All from feeling small, all from submitting to His Authority, all from recognizing His Sovereignty.

All from obeying and modeling myself after the one and only Obedient.

There's an art form that comes from dancing with the Holy One.  The Big God that spins this universe,  grows our inspiration and desires us to be on His Huge Page of life.

Obedience brings direction to follow in His steps.  Obedience breaks resistance to my own self-will.  

Diminishes me.  Amplifies God.  

Proverbs 16:9 "In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."

Five Minute Friday - {Kiss of Death}

Life is uncertain but death is sure

Today's one word topic is difficult to write about.  So I will just go ahead and give my disclaimer..I won't be able to cover it completely in this five minute blog. 


An old-time preacher once said that "Life is uncertain but death is sure".  We are all going to die, unless Jesus chooses to come back for His own before then.  God has all of our days numbered and whether you want to admit it or not, the clock is ticking for all of us.  Some have only 30 days to live, some have a few moments and some are beginning.


Death hurts.  Whether it's predicted or unexpected, there is really no emotional preparation for it.  Many of us handle it casually.  Most of us want to stick our head in the sand and deal with it later because it is too painful to even think about.  


There are times when death is served suddenly and it seems that's when it hits the hardest.  That's what I call the deadly death blow.  When someone shares that kind of news, I am always at a loss for words.  

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding a death, the person that has passed has a choice.  Heaven and Hell are real places.  If it weren't true, Jesus didn't need to come and save us from our sins and invite us to live eternally with Him in Heaven.  

You weren't saved from Hell, you were saved for Heaven.   

God's desire is for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. (1 Timothy 2:4)  He doesn't send people to Hell because it would be contrary to His loving character.  He loves us with an eternal love.  Our eternal destination is a choice.

When death hits it can pulverize our hearts into a million pieces leaving our hearts broken and scarred.  A dad called yesterday to share that his 16-year old daughter was killed in a car accident.  Her name was Janelle.  His broken heart broke my heart.  All I could do was tearfully pray with him and share a verse of truth that might comfort him and his family in this most intense time of grieving.

Psalm 34:18 

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; 
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."

When death lingers, there is nothing that heals the chasm of pain except for God.  I am comforted that the deceased 16 year old was a believer.  She will be reunited with her family some day.  But as for understanding why she was taken yesterday is something that only God knows.  God also knows the pain that this family is enduring right now.  I know that death certainly measures our trust in God.  

Isaiah 57: 1 "The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.

I also know that my need to understand the 'whys' of death

is overshadowed by God's sovereignty.  

For today that is enough.  God is good all the time.

What verse has helped you through a tough time or through a death of a loved one?