Gratitude for Small Signs of Life - Your Nightly Prayer - April 28th

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Your Nightly Prayer

Gratitude for Small Signs of Life
Your Nightly Prayer
by Peyton Garland

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” - Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)

SOMETHING TO PONDER

In our passage, Israel had just returned from Babylonian captivity, and the Temple needed to be rebuilt. Zerubbabel took on this challenge, but he was discouraged because the construction proved far less grandiose than the Temple built under King Solomon. Here, the Prophet Zechariah encouraged Zerubbabel’s progress, reminding him that the Lord not only sees small beginnings but rejoices in them. Zerubbabel had little work to show for his efforts outside the plumbing line he held, but is that not where the water, all the life, would come from? Would that one little piece of the puzzle not sustain all the Temple’s splendor?

Life rarely allows individual humans to dictate large outcomes. We simply don’t have the combined resources, knowledge, and control when we are alone to end global hunger, stop international wars, or cure cancer. However, through God’s grace, we are given the opportunity to serve in supporting roles in His grand story. We can play whatever part, no matter how big or small, per human standards, and let His life flow through our obedience. In submitting to the opportunity He presents, we are granted the grace to see the big, collaborative picture He has painted for the worldwide Church, as hearts are healed and souls are saved in Jesus’ name. It’s far less about the pedestals history erects and much more about the eternal destination of the ordinary, “nothing special” people we interact with in seemingly insignificant places.

It’s the “small” relationships with the coffee barista we see each morning, the grocery clerk who always sneaks our toddler stickers, or the elderly neighbor who just wants a friend to sit with them on the porch and watch the cardinals fly by. If we truly examine our hearts, we discover that our concern isn’t with the small signs of life but the small task we believe we’ve been given… and the hit our pride takes when we aren’t making the headlines, being tagged in the viral video, or getting the royalty check for our opinions, no matter how godly.

This spring season, as we see small signs of life, like flowers breaking through the dirt, daring the cold to watch them stand firm, may we remember that life is never small. In God’s hands, what’s living and breathing is never without a purpose far deeper and richer than we could ever understand. And life is never too big or too small to need God’s redemption and transformation. Life was never placed on any balancing scale outside the one that dipped far too graciously in our favor as the Savior of the world bore our eternal debt.

This evening, as the sun sets a little later and springtime grants a few extra minutes of golden light, thank God for the small signs of life. Thank Him for the butterflies reappearing, your children giggling in the bathtub, and the grace you were given to pray for and love the everyday people in your life. Zechariah failed to realize that his hands held the lifeblood of the new Temple, the one God chose for His beloved Israel. So don’t let size, stature, or a need for human praise keep you from recognizing the small yet eternally impactful gifts He has already placed in your hands.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Father,
Grant us the heart to see the gifts you have placed in our hands, but let us see them with your eyes as we recognize the big, spiritual picture that surrounds us. Give us the grace to be that “small” but life-changing sign of life for others. Grow us in your wisdom, peace, and purpose. We love you, Lord.
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

Reflect on your day and consider how often you did or didn’t thank God for His small, seemingly ordinary gifts. Ask Him to open your eyes to the truth that nothing is too small or ordinary in His hands.
As warm weather approaches, consider one small way you can visualize things coming to life. Consider purchasing a butterfly kit for your family, or plant flower seeds and place them by the kitchen window. Allow these little things to remind you of the beauty in small signs of life.
Prayerfully consider and write down three ways you can verbally express gratitude for the everyday people in your life.

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Peyton Garland is an author, editor, and boy mama who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee. Subscribe to her blog Uncured+Okay for more encouragement.