[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during November 2022]
Small change – two words, two potential meanings; what thoughts come to mind?
The phrase might have a financial context – those coins which appear to have little individual value. How many of us are tempted to dismiss the one-penny change that comes with many of today’s cash purchases?
If we have enough of them they can add up to something worthwhile. I knew a man who, every night, put the small change from his pocket into a jar on his dressing table. Each year when the annual subscription for his sports club came due he had accumulated enough to pay it in full.
On the other hand, if small change is all we have then its significance becomes greater. The gospel of Mark records an incident in the Temple when a poor widow made a donation of small change. Jesus observed that, for her, it was a sacrifice of great significance as it was all that she had.[1] King David, himself not short of a penny or two, had the same attitude:
I’m not going to offer God, my God, sacrifices that are no sacrifice. 2 Samuel 24 v24 [MSG]
Small change has another context – that of a minor alteration to material things, events or plans. What appear to be small changes can have big impacts. A small change to a railway timetable can mean that former connections are now longer viable. A small change to a formula may mean that an item no longer performs as previously. A small change to a recipe may enhance or spoil the taste of a product. A small change to our diet may have a significant impact on our health. In writing computer code, using a colon where a semi-colon is expected will crash the software.
We may be tempted to dismiss small changes or fail to consider their effects on other people. The prophet Zechariah posed a question to the people of his day:
Who dares despise the day of small things? Zechariah 4 v10 [NIVUK]
Could your small change be a significant blessing for someone else? Could a small change to your lifestyle give you extra time for reading the Bible, praying or even thanking God for the abundance of his generosity?
By definition, God does not change[2] – certainly, we need to.
[1] Mark 12 v44
[2] Numbers 23 v19
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Steve Humphreys November 2022
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
Thanks for this Steve, and for your faithfulness in continuing to bless us with these reflections.