Devotional: Small

While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could rescue Him from death.  And God heard the prayers because of His deep reverence for God.    Hebrews 5:7 NLT

                Last week in Proverbs we studied the fear of God.  When I read this verse this morning I had to share it as a devotional and follow up to last week’s thoughts.  The Greek word in verse 7 for deep reverence is eusebeia meaning godliness, holiness, piety, a reverence out of respect.  It’s the combination of the two together that creates the correct posture of the heart.  The necessary view of God that is willing to trust, submit, and move forward.  I can admire someone, but not put them above me in life.  I can recognize the authority of someone over me, but concede begrudgingly to their power.  When the two states of relationship are intertwined, desire and joy in submission overflows naturally from the heart; the only Being that is worthy of this interaction is God, who is fully powerful and fully good.

                When I read this passage in Hebrews, I am comforted to know that Jesus didn’t have quiet time with His scroll in the morning…that’s not our example.  The Bible says he offered prayers with loud cries and tears!  There was passion, heartfelt emotion, and pain there.  Next it explains His view of the God who could rescue Him from death.  And He knew He would die.  It was there before Him.  In John 2:19-21, Jesus tells his followers that He would die for three days and then be raised.  Jesus knew He would experience an earthly physical death, but that God could save Him from spiritual death.  How would you plead, how would you interact with the one who was holding your life in His power?  In Luke 22:44 Jesus prayed so fervently that His sweat became blood. 

                I care that God hears my prayers.  I want them to be heard.  This week I have learned a lot about what to pray for.  I’ll admit that sometimes I feel like my needs aren’t that important.  Or better yet, that I have a two kinds of needs in my life.  The things I can handle on my own and the big things I need help with.  Almost like a sacred/secular divide.  Yesterday I sent out a prayer request for my husband’s job interview on Tuesday.  This qualifies as a “big thing I need God’s help with.”  Yet when I was anxious about how I was going to get my sprinkler system done, I didn’t pray or ask for prayer.  I guess it’s on my “I should be able to handle this” list.  Because in my self-sufficiency I believe that situation takes more manpower: me figuring out my schedule, coordinating with my husband and friends, what could God do?  I know that is what I trust after the moment has passed when my actions show where my heart is.  When my feelings are anxious and not peaceful.  I don’t in my conscious mind have these labels, yet the after effects reveal the true content of my faith. 

                So what does God do to show me how big He is and how small I am?  He changes the weather (a big storm was certain) so the dirt is dry and easy to trench.  He gives my husband strength to get this hulk of a machine into his truck, when he couldn’t move it himself two days earlier.  He even gives us the rental free through circumstances we didn’t control, that initially looked like it would curtail the whole thing, when our budget for this project is tight and we weren’t able to let an extra expense creep in. 

                Ladies, there is not thing too small and unimportant to Him when He looks down in your life.  I want my prayers to be heard.  All of them.  Hebrews says that He listened to Jesus, not because He was perfect, but because He was pious.  We will never be perfect, but we can cultivate in our hearts a reverence that will let our prayers be heard.  If I would have had the right perspective, that God is big enough and good enough, I would have prayed for the small things last week and given them into His capable hands.  Instead, my small view of God kept me clutching to things He wanted to take from me.  My prayers weren’t heard because they weren’t uttered.  I thought I could do it on my own.  Don’t let your view of God be small. 

The perfect song to reflect on this is Small by JJ Heller (the Pretty and the Plain album).  I tried to find  a produced version for you on youtube for you…but couldn’t find a quality rendering.  You should buy it!  She’s great and you’ll love it.  If you want a really ghetto preview of her on someone’s home video singing it with bad audio and annoying clapping and commentary, this is the best I could find: http://quietube.com/v.php/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uib8DT2ukCE . I recommend not watching it or you may get motion sickness.