Who Has Despised the Day of…Big Things? – by Caleb Klinge

Through the prophet Zechariah, God challenged the remnant that returned from Babylonian captivity with a question: “Who has despised the day of small things?” They were tempted to look at the mountain of impossibility before them, rather than celebrate the freshly laid foundation of the temple that they had returned to rebuild. It takes faith to look at a foundation and see a building, but that’s exactly what we should do. They were being called not to minimize the powerful new beginning of a restored temple that would contain greater glory!

It’s a vital lesson that all Kingdom people must learn – focus on what God is doing – thank Him for it, celebrate it, continue in it, and watch it increase. The second part of the lesson is this – avoid the derailment that comes from focusing on what God isn’t doing.

This Kingdom key is not only vital when God is doing things in seed form or in small beginnings, but also when he is moving on a large scale. Today, God is moving on a large, large scale in the earth. We are seeing amazing breakthroughs in unreached nations, healings on a scale that haven’t been seen in millennia, and we’re going deeper in the Presence of God than we’ve ever been before.

It is just as possible to despise the day of big things as the day of small things! To “despise” something is to look at it with contempt. Contempt is the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration. It’s a disregard for something that should be taken into account. It’s an unwillingness to let God’s interventions really inform how I see the world and live my life.

Sometimes contempt works like this: we become so familiar with seeing God move and hearing testimonies of what He is doing that we are no longer affected. The answer is to remain childlike. Learn to expect God to move without ever getting familiar with what He does.

More often, however, the things of God are treated with contempt by default. In other words, we pay more attention to obstacles than to grace, more attention to fear than faith, more attention to the past than the future. By prioritizing our focus on what God isn’t doing, we minimize what He is doing, and distance ourselves from participating in it!

What Are You Doing Here?

Elijah had just seen the fire of God fall, the false prophets of baal and Jezebel destroyed, and the nation confess “the Lord, he is God!” He had just prayed in the first rain in three and a half years, and then supernaturally outran the chariot of Ahab back to Jezreel under the hand of the Lord. A few hours later, he ended up despising the day of “big things”. Jezebel made a threat against his life, and the burning prophet quickly slipped into fear, doubt, and depression.

I Kings 19:1-3 “1And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life…”

…And he ran until he got to the cave at Horeb to hide out. In the midst of great victory, Elijah was vulnerable. He allowed the bright sun of the victory that had just been won to be eclipsed by the words of fear and death coming from Jezebel, and he reacted by running. (You can tell what message you are prioritizing by what you are reacting to more).

For 42 days, Elijah ran in fear and depression, until he ended up in an isolated cave on Mt. Horeb. What Elijah needed was to hear from God again, to reconnect with the Presence of the Lord! When he was finally done reacting to the threats of Jezebel – when he had finally gotten still before God – he heard the voice of the Lord asking him a question.

I Kings 19:13 “13So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

This was a question of correction that came with the voice of Love. It’s the way the Father speaks to His daughters and sons. God’s voice came slicing through Elijah’s fear, depression, and hopelessness. It was addressing an issue that had to be adjusted before Elijah could be commissioned in His next assignment.

If you find yourself in a cave of isolation or a pit of discouragement, it’s the Lord’s question for you as well. You’ve been reacting to problems, running in doubt and fear, and it’s taken you into a cave. Your Heavenly Father wants to give you fresh manna and speak a reviving word into your life. But, it starts with this question.

What are you doing here? What brought you here to this cave? What brought you to this pit? What are you reacting to? Have you inadvertently treated my word for you with contempt by allowing another contradictory message to be given priority over it?

Elijah responds with his complaint about all that is going on Israel, and that he is the only one left serving God. The Lord lets him vent for a few moments, and then gives him a new assignment, and new grace and strength to go with it.

Then, at the end of the fresh assignment, the Lord gives Elijah a revelation that he is not alone. “I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal.” It’s almost like the Lord was saying, “I could have told you that 42 days ago before you started running.” But there was no “I told you so” in the heart of God. It was there in the midst of exhaustion and weakness that the Lord drew near to his servant, met him, restored him, and re-commissioned him. The Lord is drawing near to you in your cave too. You are not alone.

Learn the lesson of Elijah – whether big or small, remain focused on what the Father is doing, and watch Him bring the increase. And if you happen to find yourself in a cave, begin to listen, because your God is speaking a fresh word to you!