Zechariah 4:10 Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the LORD rejoice to see the work begin..... [Living Bible]
BIBLICAL COMMENTS
Zechariah was a Hebrew prophet who prophesied to the Jewish people during the reign of King Darius, one of the famous Persian kings. Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai. Zechariah was God's spokesman. He was God's messenger to the Jewish people, and to a man named Zerubbabel, after they returned from exile in Babylon.
Zerubbabel returned with the first wave of Jewish captives from Babylon to Jerusalem. After returning to Jerusalem, which was now under Persian rule, King Darius appointed Zerubbabel governor of Judah. After this appointment, Zerubbabel began to rebuild The Temple. The original temple had been built by King Solomon. The original temple was THE TEMPLE. It was THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. It was dedicated to God and holy. And, it had been magnificent. But it was a symbol of the greatness of the Jewish people during the height of their power as a nation. When King Solomon built the original temple, he had used only the best. Gold and other precious metals were used liberally during the construction. King Solomon had the power and wealth to enlist an army of skilled craftsman and carpenters throughout the land. But, now a broken people, in essence, former slaves had returned. And, these were was just a remnant of the Jewish people. And, to some, it was only "appointed" governor Zerubbabel chairing the "building committee."
Those who were "stuck in the past" remembering the way things used to be, probably did not participate. They were likely too negative and too fixated on what the builders didn't have. Those who constantly complained about the current state of affairs under Persian rule probably stayed away also. They probably thought Zerubbabel was just a Persian "puppet." Others were too busy building their own homes and couldn't find the time to build God's house. When a large number did not show up the first day of rebuilding, some others most likely just left the project too—since they only wanted to associate with projects that "looked like winners." So, in the end, only just a "few" showed up to help Zerubbabel rebuild.
However, God sent a message by way of Zechariah to Zerubbabel, that: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts—you will succeed because of my Spirit, though you are few and weak." God told Zechariah to tell Zerubbabel (and the people): "Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin..."
Small Plates
Sometimes the key to success is to start small and to just have faith! For example, one simple thing that has been suggested for those who want to lose weight is to simply use smaller plates. According to Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP, in "Dishing Yourself into a Smaller Size":
In the 1960's a dinner plate size was 9 inches and fit about 800 calories of food. By the late 1980's, it was up to 10 inches adding another 200 calories for a total of 1000 calories. By 2000, the newly enlarged 11 inch dinner plate held 1,600 calories and today's 12 inch packed plate can handle almost 1,900 calories. We've doubled the number of calories you can fit on that plate. Now you see the problem with going back for seconds and thirds. Just do the math.
See, "Dishing Yourself into a Smaller Size," by Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP, at www.webmd.com. If you must use two plates, try a reversal---put the salad (or fruit and vegetables) on the large plate and the "heavier" caloric foods on the small plate. Or, just put the small plate inside the large plate and use the large plate as a "charger plate," merely for decorative purposes.
Just as dinner plates seemed to have "grown" over time, so have cup sizes. In 1955, McDonalds offered a 7 oz. cup beverage. In 1962, McDonalds had a 16 oz. beverage and in 1973 a 21 oz. cup beverage. In 1988 McDonalds introduced a 32 "Super-Size" cup beverage, which was later downgraded to "large" when McDonald introduced the 42 oz. new "Super-size" cup in 1999. In 2001 Burger King had a 42 oz "King" beverage. KFC introduced the 64 oz. "Mega Jug" in 2011. See, data collected by Lisa R. Young in "The Portion Teller" and in "Back to the Future: A Return to Smaller Beverage Sizes." In an attempt to fight obesity, Mayor Michael Bloomberg attempted to ban all 16 oz. and other larger cup sugary drinks (including 7-11's 64-oz "Big Gulp) from New York city. Despite the fact that the ban was not upheld by the New York courts and Mayor Bloomberg and the New York Board of Health could not prevent the sale of large sugary drinks, hopefully the message that sugary drinks are one of the leading causes of obesity in America was heard loud and clear.
Most importantly, if you are struggling with weight and health issues, don't get discouraged. Instead, every time you grab a small plate, a small cup or a drink a bottle of water, smile and remember, the LORD rejoices in seeing the work begin!
Small Beginnings
Sometimes we get discouraged when a ministry only has 3 or 4 people or when others simply don't show up. Sometimes we forget that JESUS had "small (earthly) beginnings" too. We forget that every time we eat raw, eat mindfully, exercise at least once a week, do a few chair exercises, sit less, walk or garden more, we are adding a building block toward a healthier year. For some it may even be a "new beginning."
So, today, instead of looking back, or trying to look too far ahead, or complaining that enough has been done, today let us decide to just rejoice with GOD that the work has begun or is still ongoing! Let's remember GOD's WORD: Do not despise this small beginning.
So, keep working, keep moving, keep building, keep the faith and BE BLESSED!
