Great Things Come In Small Packages

Great things come in small packages.

This statement is proven true throughout the Bible. From Abraham as one lonely 90 year old pilgrim, to the orphaned slave child Moses to the shepherd boy David – God’s Word teaches us great truths from the smallest of people. Jesus was even born in a small way. The people chosen to carry on His mission would still be considered small people (fisherman and tax collectors). But God has a way of putting immense value in something small.

Always remember, no matter how big you get in life – when you were conceived – biologists say you were smaller than a grain of salt!!!

Our scriptures opens in Proverbs 30:24-28 (NIV) "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:

The value of something does not depend upon its size! The four things we will look at today are very small and insignificant, yet we can learn tremendous truth from them.

Jesus started with 12, and even after the resurrection, the church only numbered 120. Historians tell us that at that time the population of Palestine was around 4,000,000 people. So that meant that 1 in 30,000 people were Christians. That would be the equivalent of having 8000 believers in all of the US or more locally – 1.4 Christians in all of the city of Attleboro. Yet consider what a great work was started with 120 followers of Jesus on the day of Pentecost and beyond!

Great things come in small packages.

So our scripture reads . . .

Proverbs 30:24-28 (NIV)

"Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

[25] Ants are creatures of little strength,

yet they store up their food in the summer;

[26] Coneys are creatures of little power,

yet they make their home in the crags;

[27] locusts have no king,

yet they advance together in ranks;

[28] a lizard can be caught with the hand,

yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

These verses were written by Agur the son of Jakeh, he was a contemporary of Solomon’s and was considered wise enough to be included in this book of wisdom

In this text, Agur lists four things on Earth that are very small – yet, despite their size – they are wise . . . and when we study them, we can find four great characteristics for Kingdom living.

The Ant: (Speaks of Preparation)

What he’s not: STRONG

Wise because: He plans ahead.

An ant brain has about 250,000 brain cells. A human brain has 10,000 million so a colony of 40,000 ants has collectively the same size brain as a human.

But what does the ant do with its little brain that we can learn from? It prepares for harder seasons!

The Ant know: Just because it is summer now, doesn’t mean winter isn’t coming.

For the ant – its about forward thinking and acting!

Time management mistakes we make:

- We obsess about yesterday.

- Or we worry about tomorrow

- Or we live for the moment.

Why not change our attitude and adjust our thinking – and put things in place for the future.

We must be prepared!

For what?

1. For Temptations

a. John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

2. For Trials

a. James 1:14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.

3. For The Second Coming of Christ

a. 1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

4. To tell others about Him.

a. 1 Peter 3:15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

God is about right now. He is not I WAS, or I WILL BE (to Moses) He is a PRESENT TENSE GOD.

Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Some truths about Ants:

Ants work with what they’ve been given.

- I think of Joseph – he was always second in command. (To his father, to Potipher, to the prison warden, and ultimately to Pharaoh)

- Eccles. 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,

- YOU FIRST MUST ACCEPT WHAT YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN!

- Did you know that you are in the training ground today for what God has for you to do tomorrow!

- What you are learning to do now will be used in the days to come.

- God may have you in an obscure place – but your time is coming!