Details, Details

You've probably heard the saying, "the devil is in the details." I wondered where something like that came from, so I Googled. It means that overlooking details can cause problems. So, the devil causes problems, and our negligence can cause problems. All of that is true. Taking care of details is essential in working through projects or situations.

More interestingly, though, I discovered that the term has changed over hundreds of years. The original saying was "God is in the details." Isn't that interesting? Someone took a comforting statement about God and turned it around, giving it to the enemy and changing it from a lovely message to a warning statement. The devil is a counterfeiter. Always remember that.

But, God indeed is in the details. Look at this familiar passage:

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 6 28

This teaching from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is often used in encouraging people not to worry but to have faith. If God takes care of the lilies of the field, plants, He certainly will take even better care of you. That's quite true, but I want to look at it a little differently. God cares about the details of creation. Have you looked closely at a flower, a seashell, or even a tiny insect? God created them with intricate details, some so small we can’t see them with the naked eye. He created galaxies and creatures and plants that haven’t even been discovered yet! If he has taken so much time with all of those things, He certainly cares about the details of your life. All of them.

He cares very much about you and your salvation, but beyond that, He cares that you have lilies and other beautiful flowers to enjoy. He cares that you have joy and peace. He cares that you have good relationships. He cares about every little detail of your life.

In Genesis 1, God created the world by speaking things into existence. His words are so powerful that they have creative properties. Isn’t that awesome? However, in Genesis 2:7 and 21, God made Adam and Eve. He did not speak them into existence. He took time to create them. In Genesis 2:8, God planted the Garden for them. Again, He didn't use the creative power of words; He made the Garden of Eden with action. Why? I think it is because He cares so much about the details of our lives. He wanted Adam and Eve's home to be special, so He put his hands to it. God doesn't change, so it must still be true today.

What little things are weighing on you that you haven't asked God about? What issues are piling up and overwhelming you? Do they seem too insignificant to pray about? Think again. Talk to God and let Him deal with the details. Like the corrupted version of the saying declares, the devil is in them. Let God handle him for you.