Long Days of Small Things

Last Sunday morning, I spoke on the latter part of 1 Kings 9. This section is something of a sandwich: it comes after the Lord appears a second time to Solomon and before the arrival of Sheba’s Queen. If it were a sandwich, it would be two choice pieces of wholegrain, artisan bread, with a cheap-looking meat paste for a filling. Indeed, I was half tempted to skip on past to the more exciting episodes of Solomon’s reign. This section is concerned with his financial affairs, the division of labour and a tiff with his best mate, Hiram. Yawn. No miracles, no fabulous constructions. Indeed, the account begins with an explanation that both temple and palace were completed. What now was the King doing? 'The mundane trivia of running a kingdom', the text replies. Financial management, foreign relations, labour management and the queen moving into new accommodation is hardly the stuff of legend, but it had to happen.

We should be reminded that most of the Biblical saints’ lives were not spent performing mighty feats of faith. Samson did not kill a lion each day; Paul did not raise the dead each week, nor did Peter heal the lame each month. There is much of their lives that went unrecorded, for it was, like 1 Kings 9b, spent fulfilling mundane tasks and humdrum business.

As a pastor, I spend relatively little time steering the church away from heresy, leading people to Christ (far too little time) nor even preaching the whole counsel of God. Sometimes, I am just writing notes, filling a rota, checking a policy. Yawn. But it has to be done. The Lord does call us to make great sacrifices and acts of faith, but most of the time He just expects us to get on with ordinary Christian living. So keep praying, reading His word, giving and sharing. The Lord seeks obedience and faithfulness in the little things, which are many, as well as the big things, which are few.

For who hath despised the day of small things?  Zech. 4:10

Image by Ronald Carreño from Pixabay