Good Things Come In Small Packages

There are four things which are little on the earth But they are exceedingly wise: The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer; The rock badgers are a feeble folk, Yet they make their homes in the crags; The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks; The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, And is in kings’ palaces.

Proverbs 30:24-28 (NKJV)

Do you ever feel little? Do you ever feel that your life doesn’t matter? I think most of us feel like that at times. For many people Christmas can be the hardest time of the year. You look around and feel that you don’t measure up, you don’t have the picture-perfect family, you feel small, insignificant. So if that’s you, God wants you to know that he has poured wisdom and beauty into weak, little things.

There’s a test that’s circulating on the Internet:

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Pageant.
3. Name ten people who have won a Nobel Prize.

How did you do? The point is, none of us really remember the prize winners of yesterday. Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one.

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through difficult times.
3. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

Easier? The lesson: the people who make the difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, money, or awards. They are simply the ones who care. So be yourself. Everyone else is taken.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

The very first Christmas eve occurred in the little town of Bethlehem. Two great men were born there, David and Jesus. David was a man who loved God; Jesus is God who loves man. Sometimes great things and people have humble beginnings. Athlete Lance Armstrong never knew his birth father. Apple creator Steve Jobs was born to an unwed mother. Albert Einstein had a speech impediment as a child. Charles Schultz was a shy, timid teenager. Plain, ordinary, slightly flawed—do you feel that describes you? Brown paper packages tied up with string . . . these are a few of God’s favorite things.

One Year Bible Reading

Zechariah 6:1–7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm 143:1-12; Proverbs 30:24-28