What Little Left

Sometimes we feel small and we feel like we don’t belong. There are instances in our life when we question our worth. This world can be good at separating the rich and the poor, the literate and the illiterate, the beautiful and the ugly, and so many more discriminations in every form. Those who fall way behind get to experience the painful rejection. Like in an ecosystem with a long trail of predator-prey relationship, there were times when the world treats us like we are the prey. Never on top of the food chain, always at the end. Times like these can render us feeling so small and unimportant. Could someone even miss our existence when we disappear? Like a tiny spot on a big canvass, this feeling of being inconsequential sometimes come and rob us of motivation and joy to move forward. But I noticed a wonderful point God taught me in His Word. God has his eye on the unimportant as He has His eye on those we deem as important.

When I open the Bible, I marvel at God’s grace and magnificence. He always picks the unimportant and inconsequential and let us realize that to Him no one is unimportant. Everyone has his or her own place in His kingdom. He loves all. His grace abounds to all — to the strong and to the weak. David, a shepherd boy, became the king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3-4). Jesus chose the tax collector and fishermen to be his disciples and not the scribes, the Pharisees, or anyone with high education (Matthew 4:18-20; Matthew 9:9). God chose the “worst of sinners”, Apostle Paul, to make His salvation known to the Gentiles (1 Timothy 1:15-16). Jesus took notice of the poor widow who gave so little compared to the rich who gave large sums of money (Mark 12:41-44). God chose a carpenter to be the husband of Mary and Jesus was known as the “ carpenter’s son” instead of the son of the Emperor (Matthew 13:55-56). To the eyes of world, none of these people are seen as significant. In the world’s standard they are small and inconsequential. But, God used them all to do great works because the truth is, God can use any one who give his or her life to Him. If we are willing to be molded by the Potter, He can make us worthy vessels in His kingdom.

“But now, Yahweh, you are our Father. We are the clay and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.”

– Isaiah 64:8 (WEB)

God’s grace is bigger than our weakness. Our weakness that makes us feel small. Our limitation that makes us feel insignificant. Our being “different” that makes us feel we do not belong. All of these are small matters to God. His grace is bigger than any weakness, limitation, or difference in us. His grace abounds and it does not run out.

I felt God’s blanket of grace so palpable as I read Matthew 15:21-39. A Canaanite woman came to Jesus for help because her daughter is oppressed by a demon. What is so unique in this story? The woman is not an Israelite. She is a Canaanite. Canaanites and Israelites have a history of hostility against each other. Canaanites worship pagan gods. The woman is different. She does not belong among the Israelites. And for the Canaanite woman to address Jesus as “Lord, Son of David” reflects the kind of faith she had. Jesus saw her great faith and her daughter was healed instantly (Matthew 15:28). The same grace was given to the sick people, the lame, the blind, and the mute (Matthew 15:30-31). They were the afflicted and poor. Yet, Jesus saw them with the eyes of grace and healed them all. God saw their lowly state and He did not drive them away. He brought them near and gave them new life. His grace extended even when the the crowd was hungry. With seven loaves and few fish that the disciples gave to Jesus, He blessed and gave thanks, and fed all the people (Matthew 15:33-38).

“He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. They all ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.”

– Matthew 15:35-38 (WEB)

In all these accounts, God’s grace is rich and pure. He could use the small, the weak, and the different because they surrendered their life to God. The Canaanite woman approached Jesus in humility and believed that Jesus is the Messiah who could heal her daughter. The lame, the blind, the mute, and all other sick people came to Jesus and surrendered their sicknesses to Him. The disciples gave the seven loaves and fish to Jesus so He could feed the thousands of people. All of them gave up something to Jesus. Even the disciples gave up their jobs and followed Jesus. They surrendered to Jesus so He could bless them. The results were complete healing and blessing.

However small you feel and whatever small you got, give it to Jesus. Approach Him in faith and turn over your need, your weakness, your limitation, or your being different to God with faith. Surrender in faith. Then, you will experience His healing and blessing. You will be filled!