Little Is Much When God Is In It

LITTLE IS MUCH WHEN GOD IS IN IT

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” - Micah 5:2

In his younger years, my father collected convention songbooks and sheet music. He kept these items his entire life. When I was in the seventh grade, he taught our family to sight-read shape note music. Among the songs we learned was a song from 1963 entitled, “Little Is Much When God Is In It.” The sheet music was published by Ben Speer Music. The world-famous Speer family had recorded the song. Since then, the song has become a standard.

When I first sang the tune, I thought it was just an average song. However, over time I found the song to be rather profound and relevant. In fact, I often think about that song when I look at my meager efforts in serving God. The song reminds me that it isn't the magnitude of my efforts that make the difference, but the mighty God who uses them.

Throughout the Scripture, we find our powerful God doing mighty things through small, weak people. The Lord took a fugitive and send him back to Egypt to lead an unprecedented exodus. He used timid Gideon to achieve a great victory over the Midianites. God used a small shepherd boy to slay a giant. Little is much when God is in it.

God specializes in using small things to accomplish great tasks. The Lord used the wooden staff of Moses to reveal His greatness to Pharaoh. God used the small jar of oil to provide for a desperate widow. With just five loaves and two fishes, our Lord miraculously fed thousands. He took clay, just plain dirt, and anointed a man's eyes and soon the man would see. Little is much when God is in it.

Our world scorns the little things. Instead, the emphasis is placed on bigness. We praise those with big bank accounts. We admire men who have great power. We tend to respect people with great talent. Even in Christianity, mega-churches and large ministries are the focus of attention. Christian talk shows would rather interview a best-selling Christian author than a small church pastor any day. We celebrate those who achieve numerical success.

Isn't this the antithesis of our Lord's ministry? During this Christmas season we are reminded of the prophecy, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” The Messiah did not come as an adult, but as a small child. Jesus came to a small town, not the big city. He was not born at a Holiday Inn, but in a lowly stable. He was not clothed with rich apparel, but was wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Our Lord came as a servant. Jesus said, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Paul put it this way, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

It was in His humility that Jesus provided redemption for us. He died as a convicted felon, executed on a Roman cross. Isaiah prophesied that He would be rejected by men … and so He was. The One who once had huge crowds following Him, died all alone. The names of executed felons tend to die with them. Not with Jesus. This humble carpenter was more than just a good teacher. He is the Son of God. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

1 Corinthians 1:27 says, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” God still does great things through small people. The world applauds the rich, beautiful and talented. God looks at the heart. He doesn't need us, but we desperately need Him. He takes pleasure in using small, obscure people like us to make His Name known.

Let me encourage you to surrender everything to the Lord. When the Lord receives a surrendered life, He tends to do profound things with it.

Little is much when God is in it.