Because You Were Small

“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, [8] but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deut 7:7-8 ESV). 

The beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that it is not for the proud and mighty, but for those who are willing to bow the knee and acknowledge their humility before God. The Christian life is full of reminders that God is great and magnificent, whereas we are small and insignificant. Yet, there is an incredible amount of joy to be had, knowing that God has chosen the foolish and small things of this world to shame the wise and the grand. For in man’s weakness, not his strength, God’s glory and kindness shines brighter. 

If our Christianity were grounded in some sense of our worthiness before God we would live in a state of either constant pride or constant fear. If we believed that we were excellent Law-keepers like the rich young ruler who came to Jesus or the other Pharisees, we would snub those whom we deemed to be poor keepers of God’s Law. In our hearts, we would slowly begin to measure people according to our own sense of holiness rather than God’s and so steal glory from God by usurping his proper authority as Judge. If, however, we believed God loved us because of our own initial worthiness, this would not help us one bit. In fact, it would terrify us, for we would live in constant fear of losing that initial favor.  

Our eyes were opened not because we were worthy of love, but because God chose to set his love on us. The foundation of our Christian lives is the concrete of grace not the sinking sand of fear. What a marvelous gift grace is! Grace is solid enough that we can stand on it through the trials of life, yet pliable enough that when we fall, we are not smashed but gently caught by its net. Grace is firm enough that we can leap from its platform into the ministry our Lord calls us into, yet grace is soft enough for us to rest on when we seek comfort and quiet from our sufferings. 

How grateful we are for grace! God’s grace brought us out of spiritual slavery from our old taskmaster of sin, God’s grace sustains our frail bodies as we endure trials in this world, and God’s grace will ultimately bring us home to glory. The grace of God frees us from having to live a life of deception, claiming to be great, when we are nothing more than needy creatures who are in need of daily grace. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! May God’s grace be sufficient for you today and always. As the old hymn writer said,  

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home. 

Written by: Samuel Chua