Encouragement

That Little Which You Belittle

by Olawale Ogunsola
10/19/21
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That Little Which You Belittle
"Even so the tongue is a little member, and bboastet great things.
Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth" James 3:5. King James Version.

The above quotation by Apostle James reveals what tongue which is a small member of body, can do, if it is not well handled with care. It is a little member of human body which boasts of great things. It is not that it boasts of great things, it also brings about great things.

What is the intensity of "a" fire that is needed to set a house abalze? It is not a great "intensity". A little "spark" of fire can result in uncontrollable fire out break. There are instances of little fire spark that brought about destruction of a whole market which play hosts to millions of dollars in goods and properties. The sad part of such destruction is that it is irreparable. What has been lost is lost forever. So, a little spark of fire that is despised can result in great consequences ; that is irredeemable.

Do you know that it is not only the tongue or fire that is a little thing that can be belittled which can bring evil on a person, household, community, state (province) or nation. An African wise saying translates thus. "A little stick that is belittled can make an eye blind." So, care must be taken; it is important for people of God to also be careful of belittling any thing or person.

This was the undoing of Jews on their journey to the promised land. What happened? The journey had been smooth and hitch free because the Lord was giving them victory over and over again. Great and powerful cities and their kings have been overcome so, they became over-confident in themselves. It was during this time that they came to a city called Ai.
"And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai,... saying,
Go up and view the country." And the men went up and view Ai
And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, 'Let not all the
people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up
and smite Ai and make not all the people to labour thither ;
for they are few" Joshua 7:2-3.
"So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men:
and they fled before the men of Ai.

There are so many lessons to learn from this episode but not to be cumbersome, let us briefly highlight two.

One, during planning, that is between spying and fighting the battle, where is God brought in? Before sending the spies to veiw Ai, there was no record to show that God directed them to go. Not only that, nothing to show that they inquired whether or not they should go to view the land. They went safely and returned without any hitch. They reported to their leader and came up with a "workable" suggestion which Joshua accented to without inquiring from God.

The result was that, a few people become a stronger people because God was not the author of the battle. He did not go with them. As a result of this, they fled before a few persons.

This defeat opened their mind (heart) 's eyes. Joshua and elders of the people went to lament before the Lord God of Isreal. It was then they knew what went wrong in the system. If they had carried Him along in their confrontation with their enemies, people of Ái,they would have worn.

Turning to their God revealed the second lesson. What is this?

This is sin. Sin is a reproach to anybody, including nations. Any small opening for sin is big enough for Satan to wreck havoc. He never bother to have a big hole, he just needs a small opening and he is satisfied. Sin of a man, Achan put the lives of all Jews in jehopardy. Without settling the sin matter, they would have continued to suffer defeat in the hands of Ai people until they were all consumed.

However, their fault was found out and made known to them; they carried out every necessary restitution to restore their relationship with their Maker. Achan and all that were his were destroyed together. That was how the evil among them was eliminated ; Jos 7:24-26.

Little things that is overlooked or belittled can turn around to defeat anyone who toys with it. Let us not belittle any little things because it may turn out to become a thing that is great or big. Do not be among those who love to betitile others or things.
Stay blessed and prepared for the coming of the Lord.

NOTE FOR SALVATION.
"35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3.(New King James Version. NKJV).