I recently watched a movie in which an American soldier was shot in Afghanistan while out on patrol. Only he and his translator survived from their unit. The translator was determined to get the soldier out of hostile territory and back to his base with no concern for his own life. One of the things that struck me in the movie was how well they portrayed the Herculean task that the translator was facing. He tended to the soldier’s injuries, shared what little water they had, carried the wounded soldier and pulled him on a makeshift stretcher. There was one scene that was so riveting that I felt the despair that his character must have been feeling: The translator had to push the soldier in a hand cart up a mountain. He would heave the cart forward with every ounce of his strength and energy, put a block under the wheel to keep it from rolling backward, take a breath, and repeat over and over and over. With every push, the man groaned from exertion–his breath ragged with exhaustion. It looked to be insurmountable, but this man knew that the soldier’s life was fully dependent on him. I couldn’t help but think I may have given up. It looked impossible.
It reminded me that we often push “boulders” uphill on a daily basis. We believe the weight of the world rests on us. We try to do it all alone. We may be pushing actual tangible problems up the hill like motherhood, job loss, or health issues or we may be pushing emotional needs like grief, anxiety, sadness, or loneliness. We may think we’re playing the role of the hero like in the film, but perhaps we carry the problem unnecessarily alone when we could be entrusting it to God.
A friend was recently sharing with me a difficult situation that she was going through. After she described the problem, she took a deep breath and said, “Well, it’s a small thing to a Giant.” That adage really grabbed my attention! Do I live my life believing this? Do I believe that God is the Giant in whose shadow my troubles shrink? Do I believe that in comparison to Him everything else seems small?
Scripture gives us a way to help remind ourselves of this truth. Over and over in the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to set up altars of remembrance to God. For example, when Noah left the ark after the flood, the first thing he did was create an altar of thanks to God. Joshua 3 and 4 give us a poignant reminder. God led the Israelites through the Jordan River on dry land. Afterwards, He had each of the twelve tribes contribute to the building of an altar to commemorate this miraculous event. “It’s a small thing to a Giant.”
And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground. so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4:21,24
Why does God tell us to remember? He tells us to remember because He knows we have spiritual amnesia. God knows how forgetful we are. Like the Israelites, one moment He is saving us in some magnificent way and the next moment we are struggling like we are all alone.
God did some big audacious deeds in the Old Testament, and Jesus performed many miracles. I know these things are true, but God has done some big deeds in my life as well. I need to remember them.
I need to recall what He saved me from, how He watched over me, and how He answered big fearful prayers requests. I have talked before about His presence and His faithfulness as I buried my sister and my parents, but God has done other miraculous things in my life.
As I was writing this I tried to recount some of the other big things God had done for me. One that came to mind happened many, many years ago, when I was heading for college. I felt God calling me to attend a Christian college in Chicago, 14 hours from home. I planned to apply to a private Christian school that was rather expensive especially for a girl with zero college fund! I prayed and told God if He wanted me to go to a Christian school, He would have to make it cost less than $1,500 dollars per year which was about one third of the cost. For me at the time, the tuition was completely out of reach. It was an act of faith (or was it a rebellious challenge?) to apply and pray for God’s will. When the financial aid package came back it was a bit less than the $1,500 for which I had prayed. To me, this was a feat equivalent to the multiplying of the loaves and fish (Matthew 14). This was a true miracle in my life and one I never want to forget. “It’s a small thing to a Giant.”
The Psalms are full of calls to remember. One such is Psalm 77:11-15:
I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
God calls us to remember. Are you recording His mighty acts?
We have to recall the deeds of the Lord so that we can see that nothing is too hard for Him. Our trials seem small in light of God’s power. I imagine a Giant coming alongside that man in the movie and picking up that cart like it was nothing. I like to imagine him pushing the cart to the top and over the mountain to safety. Then, it would be a parable of who God is… Afterall,
It’s a small thing to a Giant.
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Bonnie Kotler and her husband Mitch have two daughters, three sons, seven grandchildren and three grand-puppies. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years before re-entering the workforce after receiving her M.S. in Counseling and Human Relations from Villanova University. She is a licensed professional counselor at The Peacemaker Center and her own private practice, True North Counseling. Bonnie has been on the Willowdale women’s ministry teaching team since 2012. Bible studies have played a key role in her walk as a believer, and in turn, she loves to help other women find their peace with God and grow in their faith. She enjoys writing Bible study materials, reading fiction, spending time with family and doing anything in the sunshine. Bonnie loves to laugh and considers laughter as the best medicine. Psalm 126:2
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