God In The Details

You have likely heard the expression "The devil is in the details." It's a quick way of saying that big ideas usually have a great deal of work behind them if they are to take shape and become a reality. In another way, it is fair to say that God is in the details. Some people believe God is an ethereal, super-distant, higher power, so distant as to be irrelevant to our daily lives. On the contrary, its my experience that He cares about the details of our lives. Jesus himself said (Matthew 10:30), "Even the hairs of your head are numbered."

Yesterday, my son turned 28 years old. I spent the day on the phone twice with him and reminiscing over his life throughout the day. I remembered when he was five years old. We were living in Kailua, Hawaii and I was a professor at the University of Hawaii. One morning I was late for work and an important meeting, because I could not find my car keys. I had looked absolutely everywhere at least four times. Finally, I sat down on the sofa in the living room and said to God, "Lord, I don't know where my keys are this morning, but you do! And I am going to just sit here and thank you for telling where they are!" Instantly, one word and one picture came to mind. . . Aaron's toy box. I emptied every toy out of the toy box and there they were. Praise God! My little guy had tossed the keys into toy box and they had made their way down to the bottom.

God answers prayer. Sometimes he does so immediately. I believe he particularly enjoys hearing our thanks and praise, and enjoys reminding us that he is interested in the details of our lives. It is my experience over and over again that in fact God is in the details. There is no need nor request too small that we cannot share with him in prayer with thanks giving and praise for what in faith believe he can do.