Bethany McIlrath

First and Second: Perspective On What Matters Most (Matthew 22:36-40)

Big Small Things

As I looked at circumstances that seemed to swell ominously, I determined to believe:

God could overcome them all.

The trouble was, as I sized up the giants and the hurdles, they all seemed quite tall. I believed God could overcome them, but from my perspective, He still looked quite small next to them.

Believing was exhausting. Everything loomed, no matter which way I looked at it all.

Then my husband and I drove by the Smokey Mountains.

I love mountains. Their enormity awes and inspires me. Usually, everything in me wants to climb, rising until I reach a peak, see the panoramic view, and breathe in deeply the heights of God’s love.

But on that day, having stared so long at problems unsolved, the massive mounds of immovable stone and land and tree only made me somber. Their hugeness made me feel even more powerless.

Small cars zipped by, and, as we drove slowly so my guy could soak in the view he was so enjoying, soon there was nothing left in sight but steep rock.

Little, tiny us, faced mountains so high there was hardly a skyline.

That feeling of being so small and lost amidst something so huge and unthinkable made me realize I was thinking of God, the great conqueror, as just another passenger in the car. I was acting as if he were staring up at the mountains trying to determine how He’d get through them, too…

But the God who moves mountains is also the Maker of those mountains.

He doesn’t stare up at them in wonder like they must be conquered or tunneled through. He says move, and they do. He’s bigger, stronger, and far more immovable in His goodness than the mountains are in their massiveness.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

When the Psalmist wrote this, many people looked to mountains with awe- not just because of their size and features, but because that’s where idols were worshipped. But when the Psalmist looked up, he didn’t just see rugged, rocky altars hewn by rough and ragged hands. He saw God’s handiwork, which speaks to God’s character.

What’s big to us is small from God’s point of view, yet in His mercy He is concerned with the little things- like our cares, our food, and even our tears.

The mountain-sized struggles of our lives fit as securely in God’s hands as the tiny pieces of our lives do when we cast them on Him. Share on X

Big and small, Christ is the Lord of all in all. So we can look up to the mountains, proverbial and literal, and trust their Maker whose provision looms larger than all else.


This post may also be shared on: #MomentsofHope, #DreamTogetherLinkup, #TestimonyTuesday, #RaRaLinkup,  #TeaAndWord, #TellHisStory#RechargeWednesday#Thought-Provoking Thursday, #Heart Encouragement, #LiveFreeThursday, #DanceWithJesus#LLMLinkupFaith-Filled FridaySitting Among FriendsFresh Market Friday, and #SoulSurvivalLinkup.

12 responses to “Big Small Things”

  1. Rebecca Hastings Avatar

    Such a beautiful visual of God’s power in our lives!

    1. Bethany Avatar
      Bethany

      Thanks Becky!

  2. Homer Les Avatar

    Good imagery. God is definitely limited by our sight, is He? We need to recognize His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our own. As we put away such ‘self’ filled thoughts about God our faith can really soar!

    1. Bethany Avatar
      Bethany

      Yes we see Him through limited sight! Thanks for the wisdom about putting away self filled thoughts of God!

  3. Michele Morin Avatar

    How wonderful that God can shout to us in his creation!

    1. Bethany Avatar
      Bethany

      Amen!

  4. Lesley Avatar

    Those mountains can seem so big at times. It is amazing to think that God is above it all, even the mountains, and no matter how impossible things may seem to us his power is more than enough.

    1. Bethany Avatar
      Bethany

      So amazing!!

  5. Cheryl Gerou Avatar

    Thanks for sharing a great post! The mountain-sized struggles seem insurmountable to us, but God is able. Yes! Is there anything too hard for Him?Absolutely not! I needed this reminder today!

    1. Bethany Avatar
      Bethany

      I need this reminder often! Thank you for your encouragement!

  6. karentfriday Avatar

    Simply beautiful, Bethany! I love the mountains also, and grew up in a small mountain town. The Great Smokey Mountains are breathtaking. Your reflections on the mountain-mover is also the mountain-maker..that’s comforting in and of itself. Thank you!

    1. Bethany Avatar
      Bethany

      So comforting, and such a beautiful area!!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.