No Detail Too Small

Have you ever wondered about some of the minute details that made it into the Biblical accounts? And some of the details that DIDN’T?

• There are hundreds of prophesies about the birth of Christ, and at least two detailed genealogies listed in the gospels. We know that He was born in Bethlehem (and the circumstances that caused Him to be born there). We know about the angels and the visits of the shepherds and Wise Men (right down to the dreams that caused the Wise Men to change the route of their return!) Yet, the Bible never tells us the exact date of His birth.
• Parts of Leviticus go into great detail describing skin rashes and infectious diseases; other parts discuss in detail the kinds of animals that are acceptable for food, and those that are not; and there are the various types of sacrifices– which to offer when, what could be offered, and how it should be prepared (and/or disposed of) before and after. But in the very few descriptions of festivals or Temple procedures throughout the time of the Kings and Judges, there is very little detail, except in the number of sacrifices offered, or in the way that some of the priests disregarded the rules. (See 1 Samuel 2:12-36; 2 Samuel 6:-7; Micah 3, etc.)
• During the building of the Temple, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, there are long lists of names of workers; in Paul’s letters, there are dozens of names of people to whom he sent special greetings. Yet we never learn the names of many Biblical “characters.” What was the name of Naaman’s wife, or her servant girl who directed Naaman to Elisha the prophet for healing? What was the name of Job’s wife? The Rich Man who ignored poor Lazarus in Luke 16?

The Apostle John comes closest to addressing this issue near the end of his gospel. He says: “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31 NIV via biblegateway.com). Details help us visualize, understand, and remember. Details remind us that God sees and knows everything about us. And they confirm for us that God is interested in the details of life– from our scattered thoughts, to the hairs on our head; from our rising up to our lying down; from the grain of rice on our fork to the hole in our sock; from our first breath to our last gasp.

And so it is with prayer. There are times when we lift up to God the details of our day– the unkind word we regret saying about our neighbor, or the ache in our right pinky finger, or the amount we need (but don’t have) to pay the water bill or buy flour. There are other times when we cry out in desperation– no time for details. Sometimes, we make the mistake of believing that the details will make a difference in whether or not God will hear or answer our prayers. But God hears each prayer, and He already knows. He knows the details, whether we include them or not, and He knows our heart. He loves to hear from us–details or desperation– He is waiting with delight to meet with us! And each type of prayer involves “believing” and “(having) life in His Name.”

Sometimes, we get tired of listening to details; tired of reading the lists of names in our Bible; tired of slogging through a long description, or waiting for someone to “get to the point.” God has infinite patience. God who already knows the end of every story, who already knows the “point” we long to make, never shuts us down or rolls His eyes as we pour out our heart to Him. Nor does he get upset when we cry out in panic or frustration, with groans and wordless expressions that don’t begin to “tell the whole story.” There is no detail too small to share with God– and no detail so important that God cannot understand or meet our need.