The Little Things

The Little Things "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 I want to share with you today a lesson I learned many years ago that literally transformed my daily life. It became the difference between me going through the day in my strength, feeling like there was a 200 pound weight on my back, and going through the day in the Lord's strength, effortlessly and free regardless of what the circumstances or problems that day brought. We have no problem praying to God about the "big things" in our life, but what about the "little things?" What I am talking about are those day-to-day issues that we face that may not seem life-changing, and in the big scheme of things are pretty trivial. Getting a parking place. A problem at the bank with your account. Your car needs to be serviced. An issue at your job or at school. You find ants in your house. They can't find two of your shirts at the dry cleaners. I am talking about literally thousands and thousands of daily issues that arise as you are simply living your life. These are the "little things" that we never pray about and try to handle on our own. The Bible says that God cares about you and loves you so much He even knows the number of hairs on your head. If God cares enough to number the hairs on your head, why would you think He doesn't care if your keys are lost or your sprinkler system is not working? Let me assure you that he does care. Start praying about the little things, and you will find it will literally transform your life and your relationship with God. Years ago, I realized that I was living my life not really depending on God, but myself. Then I began to pray about everything, no matter how insignificant it seemed. I would pray as I was looking for a parking spot. That didn't mean a spot up front magically became available, but it did mean I got the exact spot God wanted me to be in. I would pray when I took my car to be serviced. It didn't mean that there weren't things that needed to be repaired, but God made sure what needed to be fixed was, and it was in good working order. The point I want you to grasp is that thinking we are in control of anything is a myth. However, God is in control of everything at all times. He has given us the ability to communicate with Him at any time about anything. We are fools when we don't take full advantage of that opportunity. Trust me, there is nothing you can do better than God. You are only making your life more difficult when you live any part of your life apart from God. You are carrying unnecessary burdens when you don't take everything, even the little things to the Lord in prayer. God loves you and cares about everything in your life, even the little things. Have you ever gone to your parents, your boss, or a friend with a problem and they told you, "Don't bother me, I don't have time right now, figure it out yourself." God will never do that. The Bible doesn't say, "Call upon the Lord with the big problems in life, but handle the little things yourself." The Bible tells us to bring all of our petitions to the Lord. That means not just the big things in our life, but the little things as well. We are actually in rebellion to God when we are trying to deal with anything in our lives apart from Him. The scripture above tells us that without Him, we can do nothing. It doesn't say we can do the little things, it says nothing. When we pray about those little things we face each day, we are not only being obedient, we are not only acknowledging our dependence upon the Lord, we are taking the pressure off our ourselves. We are being foolish not to call upon the name of the Lord and let His Spirit guide us in everything we do in life. Simply take a moment and ask God to show you the way, help you through whatever the problem may be, guide you in your decisions. You will be amazed at how it will transform your daily life. Not only will you be living in the freedom of His strength, but you will start to live with great confidence, because when God is guiding you and directing your steps, you will be victorious in all your ways. Start praying about the big things and also about the little things. My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 24 Robert William Brock, Jr.