God is in the Details vs. The Devil is in the Details

As Christians, we know that Satan is out there trying to replace God, and in this phrase, he is doing just that. The origin of this phrase is attributed to 19th century French novelist, Gustave Flaubert as "Le bon Dieu est dans le détail" translating,  “The good God is in the details.”

The meaning of this phrase was that one should pay particular attention to details, to not let your work or study be only about the big picture, but also about the smallest points. As believers, we often find God at work in the details of our lives. According to Luke 12:7, God knows the number of hairs on your head. Do you know the number of hairs on your head? I don’t. Not to mention that the number of hairs on your head changes daily as you lose a few or grow new ones. Yet, He knows.

As our creator, God knows every detail of our lives down to the smallest particle. Science is still in awe of how the smallest particles of our make up are so detailed, and how as we get stronger microscopes, we find even smaller particles exist. So God is very much in the details, and if we are paying attention and living for Him, we’ll see Him there and make certain that we don’t miss Him.

But in modern days, this proverb has been twisted. Replacing God with the devil wasn’t even part of the common vernacular until the 1960’s. And instead of talking about the need to pay attention to details when creating something, it’s speaking of the need to pay attention to the details when purchasing something, or taking something on. It’s talking about how the seller or creator is trying to hide things or con the purchaser into taking on something that he’ll find out isn’t as solid, as good, or strong as he thought it was when he was looking at the big picture.

The phrase is now referring to the evil that we will find when we look in the details of what has already been made. This is a sad turn of events. Because society has turned toward selfishness, and putting one’s own needs and wants above everyone else’s, we forget how detail-oriented God is. He hasn’t forgotten. If we are working to please the Lord instead of ourselves, we’ll make sure that our work is done honestly and that every detail is taken care of in a positive manner. A believer is not out to con others because he knows that God sees every detail of what we do and knows our heart, and there are no secrets from Him.

I know that I will purposefully be changing this phrase back to its original meaning in my life. Details matter. When we are creating, we should pay attention to the details to be sure that we glorify God with what we’re making. If everyone would feel this way, there would be no need to worry about fraudulent details instead.

Sunday Devotional ~ Making Room for God

 

He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30)

As Christians we want more of God in our lives—more of Jesus. We are selfish for Him to give us greater, bigger, and more extravagant blessings. It reminds me of one of the old hymns we sang at the small church my family attended when I was younger:

Showers of blessing,
  Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
    But for the showers we plead. (Daniel Webster, 1883)

Yes, we are thankful for the drops of mercy we receive from the Lord, but we all want showers of blessing. And we know that our God is capable of doing this.

God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine… (Ephesians 3:20)

But exactly how do we get more from Him? By making room. We make room by decreasing—decreasing our wants, our desires, ourselves, and giving that space to the Lord. There is no such thing as “awkward silence” with the Lord. Silence is golden. It’s by waiting to hear from Him that we receive His word and His blessings. But do we want those things enough to give up things that might seem good to us now, but hold us back from receiving even better from our God? Do we let making ourselves comfortable take preference? Do we fill our time, our minds, our bellies so full of things that we provide that we don’t allow the Lord to provide even better?

I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. 

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. (Psalm 81:10)

Instead of trying to fill ourselves up and doing our own thing, and making our own way, let us take a moment to allow ourselves to be empty and then allow God to fill us up. We may just find out that His showers of blessing were just one step, one choice away. While we’ve been busy trying to find a way to fill the void in us with other things, God has been waiting for us to just turn to Him.

Today my prayer is that we open ourselves up to God. That we make room for Him in a new way. If we listen to the Holy Spirit, He will tell us where we’ve been failing to make room. Then all we have to do is let go of that thing and allow God to fill us up!

Sunday Devotional ~ Go and Sin No More

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

When we have forgiveness of our sins, Jesus tells us to sin no more. We are to live a life that is free from sin, but it is not free from temptation. Each day of our lives we struggle against the temptation to be complacent, the temptation to be comfortable, and the temptation to be unsatisfied. But in all of these things, there is a simple cure.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8)

We are double-minded when we put the temptations of our own comfort before or equal to that which God asks us to do. If we'd rather relax with Netflix after working a long hard day instead of spending time in meditation with God, we're looking for our own comfort instead of furthering God's kingdom in a way we know we're supposed to do. The only thing that keeps us from our sins is to draw nearer to God through prayer, studying His word, and worship.

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12)

The east and the west never touch each other. They never see each other. God not only removed us from our past transgressions, but also our present and future ones. He wants us to draw near to Him because the closer we are to God, the further we are from our sin. Conversely, the closer we are to our sin, the further we will feel we are from God as well.

Today my prayer is that we will draw near to God in every way. That we will worship even when we're tired... that we will step forward in faith even when we're complacent right where we are... that we will allow God to be our satisfaction when we feel unsatisfied. Lord help us to draw near to you today!

Sunday Devotional - Dealing with Discontentment

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. 

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, 

whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

(Philippians 4:12)

Most of us know what it's like to be in need. But have we ever known what it's like to have plenty? We rarely have enough money, enough food, enough love in our lives to be satisfied and content. We're always striving, looking for the next big break, the next thing that will thrill us, the next meal. Being content is understanding when we've had enough.

“The leech has two daughters.

    ‘Give! Give!’ they cry.

“There are three things that are never satisfied,

    four that never say, ‘Enough!’:

the grave, the barren womb,

    land, which is never satisfied with water,

    and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’

(Proverbs 30:15-16)

There are places in our lives where we feel we can never get enough. Whether we have addiction to approval, food, Netflix programs, attention, sports... the list could go on. But once we have finished with one thing, we're looking for the next, even when we really don't need it. We rarely know when to be satisfied.

Praise the Lord, my soul;

    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

 Praise the Lord, my soul,

    and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins

    and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

    and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

(Psalm 103:1-5)

The only one who can satisfy us and truly show us contentment is God. He is the one who satisfies our desires--not food, other people, Netflix, or money. Nothing satisfies us except Him. So when we're feeling like we can't get enough, when we feel like we need something more in order to be happy, it's time for us to turn to God in prayer and praise Him for fulfilling our every need. When we feel a need in our heart for something more, He is the one who can fill it.

Today my prayer is that we will turn to the Lord when we feel empty. Let us not turn anything else into an idol by looking for it to satisfy us. Instead, let us turn to the one who provides true contentment.