“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19, 20 NIV
God loves smallness and He honors it. But, do we?
“The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.” EDWIN SCHLOSSBERG
thedailylily.com 
This Christmas I received a pair of very large wiggley eyes. It may seem to be a small gift, but indeed it was not.
I thought of many ways I could use such a gift. Then I decided that this past year God has had his eyes upon me and brought me through much. How I have been blessed by God time after time. I thought of the many people who have asked me to pray and many a picture is put upon my frig to pray for. In order that I may not forget I placed the eyes on the top of my frig door and every time I go by the frig i pray for all that are there. I have added a few more names which I don’t have pictures of but who God reminds me that I would pray for them. If just one is touched by the hand of God the gift of the large wiggley eyes as a reminder is awesome. The givers of the eyes will also be blessed.
Rena, aka, rko…love your creative flow to heaven, from heaven and back to heaven. Large wiggly eyes sure makes one joyful while attending to The Father’s Business. What a privilege to be accounted for such a worth cause. To be invited by The Holy Spirit to pray, and to rsvp with the things of The Father’s heart. You must have angels running around the world, up the street, down the street and around the corner. Go for it girl!
Amen and amen!
In response to Sara’s opening thoughts,”God honors smallness…” the Scripture in Zechariah 4:10 says, “Do not despise the day of SMALL beginnings.”
And Rena, you can also remember as you pass by your fridge…. 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. ”
Those big googly eyes will remind of you of the Lord God’s looking and searching for someone in the earth in order to show His strength and glory, His might and majesty.
And, to help describe His Love to us and the strength MG speaks of He says we are the apple of His Eye! Rena, you’ve got a set of eyes.
On Sara’s question above, “God loves smallness and He honors it. But, do we?” Lots of things are small in comparison to the big scope of things. But little things make up big things…without flower petals there would be no flower; without individual leaves, no tree canopy..and on and on. I do love the quote by architect Mies van der Rohe that so many of us are familiar with: “God is in the details”. Care and concern for little things, things not too significant to anyone or anything, may be things we easily overlook or are careless with thinking they don’t matter because they are small. I am glad God counts the very hairs of our heads, sees the lilies in the field… that small things matter to Him…to me, that is mercy.
Hey, I’ve heard, the devil is in the details. I’ve also heard that those individual leaves you speak of Debi may just be a train ride to healing. Dosen’t God’s Word say, leaves are for healing of the Nations. And, His Eye Is on The Sparrow,” because Mother Sparrow, Ethel Waters, convinced us with her never to be forgotten voice ringing with jubilant joy notes in many Billy Graham crusades’ across the nations; in one nation and then another. Thousand upon thousands of souls coming to Christ, yes, one by one.
O, O, O, rejoice O my soul in this great love that is won in the smallness of one with one with another! Rena, look at ‘your wiggly eyes’ in action! O, so wonderful!
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=aaplw&p=His+eye+is+on+the+sparrow+edthel+waters
Speaking of God in the details and the devil in the details….when one looks at the beginning of life of Ethel Waters; born … 1896, as a result of the rape of her teenaged mother, believed to have been thirteen years old at the time,… by John Waters, a pianist and family acquaintance from a mixed-race middle-class background, who played no role in raising Ethel.
We have heard above her song and ministry with Billy Graham Crusades in her later years. God is there all along; sometimes we just don’t know it! Amazon has bio’s of her life showing us what complexities were in her life….Jesus became the simplicity of her life. Yes, one leaf, one pedal…as Debi says above:
Thank you for sharing Ethel Waters with us and the song that lifts hearts and eyes toward Him.
“God is in the details”….. Debi, we can even take a look at how small a tiny little cell is, and see this, can’t we?
“cell |sel|
noun
2 Biology the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism, typically microscopic and consisting of cytoplasm and a nucleus enclosed in a membrane. Microscopic organisms typically consist of a single cell, which is either eukaryotic or prokaryotic.
• an enclosed cavity in an organism.
• figurative a small group forming a nucleus of political activity, typically a secret, subversive one : the weapons may be used to arm terrorist cells.
• the local area ”
Psalm 139:14 says: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Read with me the footnotes for verses 13-15: “God’s character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthless or even begin to hate yourself, remember that God’s Spirit is ready and willing to work within you. We should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker has for us.”
Great analogies on the parts of Tammy H. and Debi, I think. This makes me stop and pause and wonder at the mind/body/spirit connection once again.
Rev. 22: 2 “…down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”
I would like to get my hands on some of these leaves for America and all nations. The White House, Congress, Courts and on and on could use some healing leaves.
Luke 16:10 is my favorite on how God loves smallness. He reveals our ongoing dividends tax free!
Thanks for the Luke 16:10 scripture. As I read it I thought, yes, this scripture could either reveal the devil inthe details by the devil in us by the details we do or the God in the details by doing right in all the small. I like the message translation…the banking verse sure relates to the type of dividends we will get.
“If you’re honest in small things,
you’ll be honest in big things;
If you’re a crook in small things,
you’ll be a crook in big things.
If you’re not honest in small jobs,
who will put you in charge of the store?
No worker can serve two bosses:
He’ll either hate the first and love the second
Or adore the first and despise the second.
You can’t serve both God and the Bank.”
Message Bible got me a job at the bank! Like it!
It’s sort of like “Banking on the Promises” . Jesus invested all He had and all He was ….all the honor and glory of Heaven…..sort of like the “Company Store”, in us. It looked like a big risk to the world but His futures trading paid off. His INVESTMENT” will not return void but accomplish all that He has set out to do.” He will collect on His investment.
“…if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” I have tried and going to try harder in 2013 to listen to the heart’s cry of others as they speak and then search my heart of compassion as given to me by My Father and see if I can verbalize a prayer of compassion for the Words I have just heard. Hopefully, that will bring an agreement between at least two of us and maybe the three….”…three come together in my name, there am I with them.”…I see how this will begin the connections of believers blending their hearts and mind in one accord and coming more often to a fellowship table to share.
Isolation and segregation seems to be at a high risk for so many of God’s children today. We don’t seem to know or understand how to engage in compassion by bringing friend to friend, family to family, church to church and Jesus to the front.
Maybe our song; Let there be peace (UNITY) on earth and let it begin with me and spread from me faster than an infectious cold. It seems we know how to spread diseases and transmit them with only a sneeze but beget, spark, kindle relationships of a friend to friend for the cause of Kingdom building needs more than a sneeze and snooze. But, according to our scripture verses in this blog it only needs agreement, first with the small of two, and the spark of His fire goes and spreads faster and more effective than all those ‘Kindle Fire’s’ people are hobnobbing with to try and social network. I will begin 2013 networking with those that Kindle these principles;
‘…things which angels desire to look into.’ (1 Peter 1:12)
“…Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;” (Matthew 28:18–20)
“…you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake”… (1 Thessalonians 1:5).
“…God has given us the Spirit “of power and of love and of a sound mind,” and as a result, we should boldly proclaim the message of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 1:7–8)
I want to use our; Kindle, I-pad, laptop, computer, I-phone and whatever God has gifted the creators on earth with to network to the lines of heaven. Happy 2013 to ALL! And, may Mercy, Grace and Peace be to all.
What I am seeing from what you write above Sara is the importance of the right connection under the right guidelines or we may end up in a spider’s web network rather than one designed by the Father.To be able to hear the true ‘heart’s cry’ of another and respond ‘as given by My Father’ surely sounds like the only connection that can produce anything of lasting value or help. And if we can follow your four guiding principles as the building blocks for bridging to others then we should grow a network of healthy vines that can support each other and not wild vines that bring the whole structure down. I appreciate what you shared and pray I will be able to follow these guidelines this year.
Yes, Sara & Debi; To look beyond someone’s annoying demeanor; to see behind hurting confidences of someone else’s frustratingly verbal communication; to disregard appearances and approaches and by the Spirit of the living God to address with words of healing, but not moralizing or compromising jus to keep the peace; but rather to speak words of peace, [as Sara describes above.]…..what a grand and glorious assignment from the Father. Oh that we will stir up the gift that is within us [1Tim. 1:6] that lies dormant in us most of our days and
(i.e. Sara) ‘ Kindle’ the ‘Fire’ so that we can be Jesus’ ‘EYE- PAD’ and ‘EYE-POD’ as we strive to manifest the Words written on HIS TABLETS (of stone).
I have come to understand that it is just best not to try and read tea leaves and faces. If we respond to one’s words we will have enough to do without become tea/face readers. Ezekiel 2:6 says, “… do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house.” So often I see people would rather try and guess what they think people are saying rather than just respond to what was said. I think believers in Jesus Christ would do well to respond with the appropriate answer to words and not tea leaves. And, Jerm 1:17 “”Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.”
“The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.” EDWIN SCHLOSSBERG
As I ponder our quote from this blog and read our daily devotion, day 6, Jesus Today; Sarah Young ask us to re-center ourselves in Jesus. Now, to be willing and then obtain the knowledge to center or recenter sure gives way to thinking and looking for the writings and knowledge of others to help. Hey, folks out in he vast lands, HELP!
“So often I see people would rather try and guess what they think people are saying rather than just respond to what was said.” Hum………. sounds like some good communication skills to me, and skills that I need lots of practice on. Thanks, Sara.
With words, the worlds were created!
God’ small voice/words calms the waters. Peace! Be Still!
Think of the many times we have heard God’s Voice and the results of His Words. When we speak and/or others to us we hear/see words and their results. Lies/deceptions take great pride in their ability to twist minds. When we spy the lie we deal with it and know when to release the giver of words. Do we remember the words from the book of John that gives identity to our Heavenly Father or another chosen father….”You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John 8:40——-
Sara, you write above, “Lies/deceptions take great pride in their ability to twist minds”.
This scripture passage below seems to have relevance to this with warning and makes a distinction between good and evil: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Romans 16:17-20 NIV
Hey, the writer of Romans must be alive today. They sure put a slam-dunk- closed book on some modern day thinking from some of us….”.Look at those words; by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”
NAIVE=(of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment : the rather naive young man had been totally misled.• (of a person) natural and unaffected; innocent :
Think about the children of the world….words coming from parents, teachers, preachers, and probably the most effect words are those with pictures from TV and Movies!
Think about our excess words that go and on and on with no clarity or understanding by anyone. We just enjoy giving them to confuse the mind.
My thoughts are taking me to my love of Mark Twain, wonder why? Maybe I will review his words today.
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” Mark Twain
A winner Tammy!
Sara, you wrote above, “Think about our excess words that go and on and on with no clarity or understanding by anyone.” Thinking on this, I am reminded that Jesus taught us not to waste. After he multiplied the loaves and fish and fed people until they were satisfied He gave these instructions: “Gather the leftover pieces so that nothing will be wasted.” The disciples gathered the leftover pieces of bread and filled twelve baskets.” John 6:12-13 Those baskets fed somebody else. Maybe if we could see our excess words as more wasteful than even wasting other resources, we would practice conservation. And maybe listening to someone else’s excess words is just as bad.
A picturesque way of seeing ourselves, Debi.