God’s Concern for the Small Things on Our Daily Journey

(The transcript of a sermon that shows God’s Concern in our daily challenges, preached at the People’s Church (Assembly of God) in Colombo, Sri Lanka)

Introduction: You know, there’s a story of the well-remembered evangelist and preacher George Mueller. He was a man who looked after thousands of children, orphans, in various locations. He never asked support from anyone but always prayed and trusted God for provision for this ministry that he was doing with these children. One story that really struck me was about how he depended on the Lord day by day for his needs.

One day, in one of the locations, there were 300+ children, but there was no food that morning. When this crisis came, in faith, he asked the children to come and sit at the tables, and then he prayed. Apparently, as the story goes, soon there was a knock on the door, and he opened it to find that the guy who ran the bakery nearby had felt a prompting from God to bring bread for the children. They were fed, and soon after, there was another knock on the door. 

This time, it was the milkman. The milkman’s cart had broken down in front of the home, and since he couldn’t get it repaired in time and the milk would spoil in the sun, he brought the milk and gave it to them. This story shows how God’s provision and help are available to us as we face our day-to-day challenges.

Over the past week, as I’ve been going through a little bit of social media and even a bit of Facebook, I saw some articles that showed the big things that God is doing around the world. One person had mentioned how he was expecting in his ministry to reach thousands in the coming week. Another day, I read about people who were talking about transforming a nation. In another post, there was mention about a church that was looking to change history. Words like “incredible,” “powerful” — you see these words quite often.

 So, we see the big things that God is doing, and these are good things. But sometimes we may  wonder, where do we stand in all these big things God is doing – in our daily battles, and in our daily challenges of life? The smaller things that we have to battle, the daily grind of life? Where does God fit into all of this? Can we encounter God powerfully in our day-to-day lives? Can you and I be useful in the Kingdom of God in the things that we feel God has called us to do?

It can be very tough to expect that to happen when we are battling health issues, when we are battling situations where even our career plans and study plans are not going according to schedule. When there are strains arising in our family relationships, between husband and wife, between parents and children, between brother and sister. Maybe challenges you’re facing at the office, with a difficult boss, or your job may be insecure right now. Maybe you had a failure last week or last month. Maybe a fear has come over you, some weakness you’re battling with, sleepless nights, and maybe you even need medication to sleep at night. 

Young mothers, young fathers — sometimes you have to be up the whole night with a sick child and then go back to work the following day. Maybe some of you had emotional meltdowns this past week. Students, maybe you’re battling with your studies, a weak subject, or someone bullying you at school. So, in the midst of all these challenges we face on a day-to-day basis, where does God fit into all of this?

My topic today is about ‘God’s Concern for the Small Things’. 

With all that you and I are battling, (and I am battling too), let’s look at Psalm 68:19. “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” This scripture tells us that we have a God who daily bears our burdens. In Psalm 138:2, there is a very powerful thought that I read in the NLT version. It says, “Your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.” So, God’s promises to us are backed by the honor of His name.

In spite of God’s greatness and the great things He is doing, God has a remarkable concern for the day-to-day, smaller challenges that we face, those day-to-day struggles. In fact, Jesus, in Matthew 6, told us that God, our Father, notices even the little things that nobody else sees in our lives. He notices. So, today in this sermon, I will be sharing a lot of scripture stories, but there are three main points I want to share. I hope that if you forget everything else, you will hold on to these three main points. 

1) God’s concern is seen in our Daily and Smaller challenges of life.

To explain that, I would like to share five different scenarios or case studies, or whatever you like to call it. Yes, God walks with you at all times, even when you have a bad workday. 

There’s a story of a group of people who were doing some fieldwork. One of them had borrowed some equipment from someone he knew, he had borrowed some equipment. That day, while they were working, he lost what he had borrowed from this other person. Naturally, he was very troubled because he had to sort out this loss. If you take something from someone and lose it, it really troubles you because you wonder how to sort it out.

Let’s look at 2 Kings 6:1-7. The disciples of Elisha told him that the church they were in was too small for them, and they said, “Let’s build a bigger church where we can meet and learn and study and worship, and you can teach us.” So, they started to cut down trees to build the building they wanted. One of them had borrowed an axe, and while cutting the tree, the axe head came off, flew off, and fell into the water. He was very troubled.

Have you too had a bad workday? Maybe last week? It can be in your office, or housewives, it can be in your home when the rice overboils or when the chicken gets overcooked or burnt. We face these bad days, but you know, God is with us in all those difficult moments. When your boss is giving you a bad day, when your project is not working, when something you said has been brushed aside by someone else, God is still working in our lives. And when this man called upon the man of God in this crisis situation that he faced, let’s see what it says. 

The man of God asked, “Where did it fall (vs 6)?” When he showed him the place, Elijah cut a stick and threw it there and made the iron float. In that challenge of the day, with a borrowed thing that was lost, God intervened and brought about an answer. Why? Because God walks with us in the daily challenges that we face.

In another scenario, when our health is compromised, is God still with us? Does He still walk with us? There’s another story from the life of Elisha. Elisha and his disciples, the younger prophets, were in a situation where there was a famine in the land, and they had no food. In 2 Kings 4:38-41 they go out to find food, put the pot on the fire, and begin to prepare a stew. One guy picks some poisonous fruit, puts it into the pot, and the poison gets into the stew. 

We face food poisoning, right? I’ve faced it many times in my life. Does God still walk with us in that daily challenge? Let’s look at 2 Kings 4:40. “The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” They could not eat it. But what happened? Elisha put some flour into the pot, and the Bible says that it was healed!

We all fall sick at times. My children sometimes get viruses, and it has to run its course — sometimes 3 to 4 days, if it’s a viral fever. We pray over them, and over time, they get better and get back to normal. But there are times when we need to trust God for a real touch of healing. And God’s touch is always there. 

Illustration: I remember a moment when my son was sitting for the first part of his Cambridge A-level exam. The first paper was mathematics, a subject he loved and was looking forward to. But I remember, from the previous night and definitely that morning, he wasn’t feeling well. Naturally, we prayed with him and took him to the exam hall.

After he finished and we picked him up, my wife and I asked how the paper was. He said he couldn’t concentrate or focus because he was feeling sick. When we got home, he just fell into bed. I touched him to check, and he was running a fever. For the following paper, also, he complained that he wasn’t too well. 

Well, we realized now that it was a spiritual attack. So, we anointed him with oil and we prayed. Sometimes we just have to get a hold of the Lord in situations like that. He never had any problems health wise for the rest of his exam, which lasted about two to three weeks. But the best part of it was when the results came; although he said he couldn’t concentrate and focus on the first day, he had done pretty well for himself and actually won an award for that subject.

So God walks with us on a bad workday, God walks with us when our health is compromised, and God also walks with us when we face a difficult family situation.

Is your family under strain today? Are your relationships under strain today? Is there something in your home that’s causing discomfort today? God walks with you in that as well. 

There’s a story in 1 Samuel 9 about this man called Kish, and he had lost his donkeys, and that would have caused a huge strain for him. But he called his son Saul and said, “Please go and look, look out and try to find these donkeys.” Saul and his assistant went for three days, and it’s believed they probably covered 20 to 30 miles. But they couldn’t find them.

Ultimately, Saul told his assistant, “We can’t do this. Let’s go back home because my father will be more worried about us now than about the lost donkeys.” But then they decided to meet the prophet Samuel, and let’s look at what Samuel told them in verse 20:

“As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?” 

Wow! Samuel prophesies. He begins with the smaller thing, the donkeys. He says, “Your donkeys have been found, don’t worry,” and then he prophesies over him the bigger thing, which was that Saul was going to be the first king of the nation of Israel.

So there’s a little thought I’m putting out there on the screen for you, which says, 

“Searching for his father’s missing donkeys led Saul to the throne of a king.” 

Amen. Young people, you never know what door God can open. Like Saul, honor your parents, help your parents wherever you can. Live right before them. You don’t know where it might take you.

Well, what about when life doesn’t seem to be going anywhere? You’re like that pendulum going up and down but not getting anywhere, and life has become boring for you, at a standstill. Is God still with you in that journey? Does God still care for you?

There was a group of workers doing the night shift one day, just like in ‘The Commodores’ song. It was the same daily grind of the night shift, and they were doing something that was not very well appreciated—a job that was not very well appreciated. They may have wondered, “What is this? Every night we are here, we are doing this boring night shift.”

Some of you work the night shift, right? I know today, because there are global online opportunities, a lot of people work for foreign companies and they work through the night sometimes. Some work in the early mornings depending on which country you’re working for or which company you’re with. I’ve worked the night shift too sometimes, back in the old days. It’s not that pleasant—it’s not easy sometimes.

So they may have wondered, “Where is all this going? What’s the point? Every day we are coming.” Some guy may have said, “Today I’m not going to go to work. I’m tired of this. I’ll just take a day off.” But that day, God revealed Himself. 

Let’s look at Luke 2:9: “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” These were shepherds watching over the flocks at night, probably wondering, “It’s another day for us,” but God came to them that night. He revealed himself. There were ‘sweet sounds,’ as the song says, ‘coming down on the night shift’. Sweet sounds from heaven. And they were the first to hear about the birth of the Messiah, the Savior of the world—Jesus Christ, our never-failing Lord, was born that night.

These men heard the message from the angel of the Lord. There’s a little thought I’m going to put up there. It says, 

Yes, God can give you a revelation for your life, for your future, for your family, maybe for the church, maybe for your home cell—whatever it may be. God is interested in the day-to-day smaller challenges that we face.

When Jesus performed His first miracle in John 2, what did he do? He helped a young couple facing embarrassment at their wedding reception. So, young people, those of you planning to get married, God is interested in your wedding. Make sure that He is the center of your plans. Keep Him as the most important part of your plans, and He will not fail you.

Those of you who are married, God is still interested in your marriage. Keep Him at the center of your home. Jesus saved this couple from a big embarrassment because the wine had run out, and He did a mighty miracle in that place.

Let’s look at Daniel’s life. All his hopes were shattered. When your hopes are shattered, is God still with you? Is God still walking by your side? He would have had many plans—a bright young man—but now a refugee, probably a slave in a foreign land. But God hadn’t given up. When you are facing those challenges that don’t seem to have answers, God never gives up on our lives. He still has a plan for our lives, and for each one it’s a different plan.

In that foreign land, as a refugee, Daniel learned languages and literature. Thereafter, he learned palace etiquette and palace administration. I like this one—those of you who go to gyms, this is for you. He received fine dining but chose a low-protein diet to glorify God, and he still was healthy. He received a three-year scholarship in the University of Babylon. He ended up winning and coming first in the oral examination that the king had because God gave him wisdom. And finally, he got major promotions and privileges. 

Why? Because God walks with us even when we don’t see much happening, in the humdrum of daily living. God is still in control of the little things. God is still in control of our lives.

Illustration: Now, last week, on Wednesday, I was at a home, at a celebration a church family had, and our Sister Melanie also was there. She shared a small experience that she had gone through recently that I thought fitted in very well with what I was trying to share this morning. You know, she has been battling a while with a sense of vocal difficulty. She sings beautifully, but her vocal cords had been affected, and she had not been able to sing for a while. 

But when her former school had a fairly big program recently, she was asked to sing. Melanie had agreed and gone for the rehearsal. She accepted it; she went to the rehearsal, and she told me that the rehearsal was a disaster. Because everything went wrong. She was hoarse, and she had come out of the hall in tears, because she felt that she just couldn’t do it.

But she prayed. God walks with us in our daily journey. He doesn’t let us down. She prayed. Thank God, the following day, when she had to do the special song, she had done very, very well, and many people had told her how blessed they were. But you know what happened thereafter? The next day, she was hoarse again. God helped her right in that difficult moment.

So remember, don’t ever forget, that God walks with us in the daily, smaller challenges we face. So today, are you willing to allow God to walk with you in the daily challenges you face? There’s a little statement that will come up that says, 

“God can help us endure the small days. He cares for His children in the smallest of concerns.” 

I believe that’s taken from Matthew Henry’s Commentary. Yes, God can help us endure small days; He cares for His children even in the smallest concerns.

Okay, let me move on to point number two. 

For another sermon outline about God’s care for His children, click here.

2) God warns us about Small Things.

If God is warning you about a small thing, you better listen. Let’s look at the Song of Solomon 2:15: “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” 

So the warning is about the little foxes that damage the vineyards. Why? Because when the vineyard is damaged, it takes a long time for it to grow back and become fruitful again. God is warning us about the small things.

You know, we may start with a small lie, we may start with a small piece of deception, or a small bit of cheating. We may start with a small picture that we look at, or a small 20-second reel that we look at. But unless we heed the warnings of God, the small things can become bigger things. And the small things can become even bigger things, and then the small things can be so big that they destroy our lives.

Jesus also warned us in Luke 16:10: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” So Jesus says if you are trustworthy with the smaller things, you’ll be trustworthy with the bigger ones. But if you are dishonest with the smaller things, you will be dishonest with the bigger things as well.

And then James talks about how even a small part of our body—the tongue, could be destructive. James 3:9: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.”

So the same tongue can bless God on one side and curse somebody else on the other side. Bitter and sweet water can come out, and bitter poison can come out.

You know, there’s a nice song that I’ve listened to recently, by the secular musical group called ‘The Alan Parsons Project’. It’s a song called “Sooner or Later.” I love the start of that song. It says, “Oh, what a price we pay, for the things we say.” Yes, sometimes we pay a huge price because we may say the wrong things, or we may not say the right things.

Right, so God warns us about the small things. So my first point to you is that God walks with us in the small things of our life—the smaller things. My second point to you is that God warns us about the small things. 

My final point today is that:

3) God’s blesses small actions. He appreciates and He blesses small things.

In Zechariah 4:10, this is what it says: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,…” 

The people were trying to rebuild the temple, and it didn’t look anything close to what they remembered in the old temple that Solomon had built. That was a glorious temple. This didn’t have that glory. It was not really looking special. People were wondering, “Where is this going? You know, is it worth it?” But God is saying, “Do not despise small beginnings.” 

When you are in your business, it starts small. When you are in your career, it starts small. We start our education at a small age, but God can build such things to become something bigger. Unfortunately, like the people of Israel with the temple, we are either living in our past glories, or we are hoping for future glories. But here’s a little statement that I want to put up, and I hope it’ll mean something to you: 

“Do we have dreams of future glory and past glory while our present hopes are dying in the day of small things?” (Unknown)

Why? Because we may not see anything happening in our lives right now. So, have you given up because you haven’t seen anything happening in the way you wanted it to, as quickly as you wanted it to, in your life and your ministry? But God appreciates and blesses small things, small actions. 

Let’s look at 1 Samuel chapter 16 and verse 18. Remember, this is the time that the presence of God had left King Saul. He had moved away from God, and an evil spirit had come to torment Saul. And when this was happening, some of the palace attendants said, “Let us find a good musician, a good guitarist, a good harpist who can come and play for you when you are being tormented.”

So let’s look at 1 Samuel chapter 16 and verse 18. One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well, and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”

There are six things at least, maybe more—at least six things that were told about David in that scripture: he was musically skillful, courageous, a gifted orator, a warrior, deeply spiritual, and handsome in appearance. All these qualities were mentioned by this servant.

But did you notice something? Did you notice in that scripture something very important? That gentleman’s name is not even mentioned. Think about that—an unknown man gave this high-profile bio recommendation about David to the king. That’s the power of small actions.

And here’s a quotation that I will put up, and I hope it’ll clarify what I’m trying to say: 

“David went to the palace to cast out an evil spirit through music, but he ended up as the greatest king of Israel.” 

Amen. The servant had no clue what was going to happen! You never know where your small actions can take you, where God can take you—where God can take you or someone else, in the smallest things that you do. Jesus was teaching 5,000-plus men in John 6, and now they were getting hungry. He wanted the disciples to feed these people, but they didn’t have food. In verse 9, Andrew said: “A young boy has brought his lunch box. That lunch box has five small rotis and two small pieces of fish.”

How many here know what it is like to prepare food for your children to take to school? Some of you, your children may have grown older, but you will still lovingly put in maybe some roti, or maybe a sandwich or fried rice—whatever—and all the mothers are smiling because they know what I’m talking about, right? Because you want your child to have something special for his interval. 

Probably, that day, the mother may have put the food into a lunch box, or maybe into a bag and told the child, “Okay, you go and listen to Jesus,” not knowing what was going to happen with those five pieces of bread and two small fish. Jesus did an amazing miracle. 

In Matthew 25:21, this is what it says: “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

Faithful with a few things or faithful with little things, so come and share your Master’s happiness. Because you are faithful in the little things, in the small things, God will give you bigger things. So, my friend, remember that 1) God walks with us in our smaller daily challenges.  God works with us in our smaller challenges that lead to the bigger victories. 2) God warns us about the small things, and 3) God also appreciates and blesses small actions.

Life is not easy, but it’s God’s grace that sustains us. Some of you have battled hard difficulties—it’s God’s grace that sustained you. Be faithful in the small things, trust Him in the small things, and beware of the small things.

Illustration: Let me close with a little story. It’s about a young lady called Taya Smith. She was working in Sydney, but had a week off during the holidays. So she wanted to go home, which was quite far away, but couldn’t make it because the ticket prices were too high and she couldn’t afford it. So, she decided to stay where she was in Sydney. And on Sunday, she went to the church that she worshiped in. She was asked to join on stage to sing, and she sang her heart out in worship that night. She was a relatively unknown person in the church—but her singing and worship was noted. 

Two days later, she got a message from the producer of a new project that they were working on, asking her to come down to the studio to do backup vocals. This young lady who should have been on vacation back home – according to what I read – took buses, a train, and then went on a skateboard to get to the studio to record, two days in a row, up and down, not realizing that the song she was going to record, (she was eventually asked to sing a solo), was going to be one of the most popular spiritual songs of our modern-day era. It was titled “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)”.

So today, I’m going to ask Roshi to come and sing that song for us. And I pray that as she sings, may God help you to understand the power of small. We love to talk about the big, right? We love to talk about the big things that God is doing, and I’m thankful for that. Praise God for all of that. But God also walks with us, number one, in our daily, smaller challenges. Number two, He warns us about small things. And number three, He blesses and appreciates the small things that we do to bring glory to His name; Even a cup of cold water given in His name is blessed. 

God bless you!

For a meaningful sermon from the life of Joseph, click here.