Then I saw standing in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then he came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne, and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground before the Lamb. Each of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints). They were singing a new song:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals
because you were killed,
and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God
persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand—thousands times thousands— all of whom were singing in a loud voice:
“Worthy is the lamb who was killed
to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and praise!”Then I heard every creature—in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them—singing:
“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever!”And the four living creatures were saying “Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground and worshiped. Revelation 5:6-14
New English Translation
I think it’s so cool to realize that before Jesus (the Lamb that was slain) had even opened the scroll, everything in the throne room worshiped Him. All He had done at that point was grab the scroll, start moving toward the bigger thing, and everyone was praising Him and in awe.
Sometimes, I feel like we get so focused on the big God things that happened in the past that we forget about the little things that God did to get people there. We look back at revivals and the churches of old and say “remember when,” but we really only remember the huge moments that history cemented in our minds. But, none of those things would have happened if Jesus hadn’t been there doing the little things that made those moments possible.
How things would have been different back then if people had rejected all the small and almost forgettable things Jesus had begun! We wouldn’t have had revival. We wouldn’t have seen people chasing after God. The same is true today.
Are we thankful for the little things Jesus is doing right here and now? When all He does is take a step forward and grab the scroll, are we completely satisfied that He’s moving and doing something? Or are we just content when we have the “history book worthy” scenarios?
In my life, I’ve noticed that the things that have shaped and molded me the most are not the large things that everyone can see. Instead, they’re the little moments between God and me. Those times when He’s healed a broken heart. Those times He spoke to me in my bedroom. When He rescued me from a car accident as a child by simply whispering where He wanted me to sit in the car. All of those moments shaped who I am today, and they weren’t anything public or noteworthy in the sense of what society considers noteworthy.
What about you? What small thing is Jesus doing in your life right now? We need to be careful that we aren’t so obsessive over what the world calls “significant moments” that we’re blind to the real moments that are making and molding us into who God is calling us to be and that are moving us toward those bigger moments. Once we start embracing the small things, we’ll be able to start seeing how they work together for the bigger things. However, if we’re not willing to thank God in the little moments, we just might miss the larger things He wants to grow us towards.
This is my challenge to you: step into this week fully focused on the little things God is doing. Don’t look for the grand, simply look for God. Be thankful and grateful in it all, and you’ll start getting a picture for what He is doing in your life.