Zechariah 4:10 -- On Days of Small Things

"For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth."
Zechariah 4:10


Zerubbabel, here, is working on the temple. I like the idea here of the Lord encouraging us, and reminding us that small things are not to be despised. As we read in Isaiah 28:10, 2 Nephi 28:30, and Doctrine and Covenants 98:12, God give us line upon line, precept upon precept. We learn a little at a time, and we learn to do God's will a little at a time. Starting a temple is committing to the work, and even if it is barely begun, the effort should be respected.

This applies to our efforts to put God first in our own lives as well. God respects the small steps that we take, and we shouldn't despise our own efforts, even if they are small. Yes, true... we aren't perfect yet, and sometimes we feel inadequate and like the work is overwhelming, but God isn't asking for us to *instantly* build a temple, or overcome our faults, or become perfect. All he asks is for us to take the next step... to continue on the path. If we can keep turning the pages rather than giving up, we get closer to the happy ending.

Today, let's remember to respect a day of small things, both for ourselves and for others. Let's make sure that we are headed in the right direction, and make whatever small effort we can. Mighty gospel knowledge and testimony doesn't come as a lightning bolt out of the sky, but rather as a result of days of small things growning incrementally larger as our days continue and we keep making our small efforts. That's the way that our light can grow "brighter and brighter until the perfect day" (D&C 50:24).