"Do not despise small beginnings. The Lord rejoices to see the work begun, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand." Zechariah 4:10
To me it is an amazing thought that anything we, as humans, could begin would make Almighty God rejoice. Somehow He seems above "rejoicing" and those things that make Him pleased with us are above "rejoicing". I don't know why it should seem to be so, but the Bible clearly tells us that the Lord rejoices when we begin work He is calling us to do.
We've begun shooting our movie. It's no longer plans to shoot, it's making schedules, figuring out a game plan and doing the shooting, editing and putting together the footage. Certainly it is a very small beginning, but it is a beginning, and that makes our Lord very pleased. He has great plans for the finished product even if we never see the fruit that is harvested from our work on this vision He has given us.
But we also have to look at the other side of the coin in this beginning. Satan is the great enemy of God and he hates man. Anything we do that pleases Almighty God puts him into a blind rage, and so he will fight us when we make these small beginnings. Already this week there have been some spiritual battles I have fought. These battles are only the beginning. So what is to be done? The enemy is much stronger than I am.
I will tell you what is to be done: I am to grip my sword tightly, face the enemy and do battle. I know the battle is the Lord's and He is the one who will fight for me. What is my sword? The Word of God. It's not just the Sword of the Spirit, but the whole armor of God.
Certainly I will have war wounds, but I would rather be bloodied and battered at the end of my life, rather than (as Hunter S Thompson said) "in a pretty and well preserved body."
This is my prayer, then, that I fight the good fight of faith and be obedient to the Lord's calling no matter what battles I have to fight.
Are you responding to a call from the Lord Jesus? Arm yourself with the full armor of God and we will draw swords together.