Our God is a God of details. He has literally thought of EVERYTHING. There’s not a single thing he has overlooked. There’s nothing that he hasn’t accounted for. He has a plan and a purpose for all things.

To see his attention to detail, look at his creation. This week, we’re studying Genesis 1, the account of creation. We see his glory in the details of this world he imagined, designed, formed and filled. How did God think of making snow falling from the clouds? That didn’t just happen because of an accidental atmospheric condition – no, that happened because God designed it. How did he think of lightening flashing from the sky? What made him create the colors of the Northern Lights or leaves on trees that turn to brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow before letting go? He thought of it all and spoke it into existence.

Details – God is not only in them all, he is all up in them. He’s not only over all the details, he’s all over them. Nothing just happens because of coincidence. God knew how brilliant the skies would be. He knew how a stunning sunset would make his creation pause.

Someone sent me a video of a sunset savoring dog. This golden retriever would go outside every evening at just the right time, then sit and watch the sunset with intention. This dog’s eyes were fixated on the setting sun as he sat in apparent awe and contentment. Then, after the setting of the sun, the dog would go back inside. And he did it every evening.

My sisters – why aren’t we doing that? Why aren’t we enamored by the display of God’s power?

My friend Kimberly gets completely giddy when she sees a fall leaving floating through the air. She breaks out in full song and dance, watching that single leave float it’s way down to the ground. She receives that little detail as if it were a special display of God’s love just for her. Now, why don’t we do that?

Pick a detail of nature that could be God’s signature sign of love for you. For me, it’s a hot pink sunrise or sunset. I know God is thinking of me with that, because I’m thinking of him. My friend Nicole finds rocks in the shape of hearts, that’s God’s signature for her. I’m pretty convinced that God created mangoes just for me because he knew how much I would love them.

What’s your thing? A little detail of creation that will be your and God’s special thing? And when you witness that special thing, will you give God praise for it?

Someone or something is going to praise God for the details of his work. Will it be you, or will you let the rocks cry out in your place? God is putting his marvelous works on powerful display all around you, but you’ve been so busy that you’ve failed to even notice.

One of my favorite songs right now is called “This Won’t Take My Praise” by Blanca and Taylor Hill. It talks about being down, being attacked, being surrounded as the weapons of Hell form against you, but declaring:
This won’t take my praise
I won’t let a rock cry out for me
And this won’t take my joy
Jesus, I’ll lift your name up louder than the noise
This won’t take my praise

What hardship or struggle has been taking your praise? Instead of joy, you have worry. God wants his praise back.

Sometimes it’s not the hardships of life that take our praise, it’s simply the noise of life. We rush right past the details God designed to wow us, and we miss it. And when we miss those details in creation, then it’s easy to miss those details in the unfolding.

Our lives are all unfolding one day at a time. Nothing is happening by chance. God is in the details of the unfolding. But when we’ve conditioned ourselves to pass by the details of God’s creation with glazed over eyes and distracted minds, we naturally miss the details of God’s divine workings in the details of the daily unfolding of our lives. We fail to give him praise and we let the rocks take our place.

Is there a rock crying out to God because you’ve failed to do so? Is there a rock praising God because you’ve been to busy for that?

Something unspeakable happens within us when we start intentionally noticing the details of God’s creation – we start recognizing the details of his work in our families, in our homes, in our lives. When you learn what God’s fingerprints look like on the details of the universe, then you are able to see those same fingerprints on the unfolding of your life. And when you know he is working, then you can surrender your details to him. That’s the whole point.

When we read Genesis 1 and we see God created the heavens and the earth by his spoken word and he made all of this where there was once nothing but void and deep darkness – then we can believe God can create absolutely anything needed in our lives today with only a word.

It doesn’t matter if for 3 generations it’s always been a problem in your family, one word from God now can change that for you and every future generation after you.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve tried to overcome the same struggle for 30 years, one word from God now can give you a total breakthrough. Today could be the last day of that struggle ever again for you.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been stuck in a dark funk for 3 solid years and you have no energy left to even hope for something different. one word from God now can bring light and healing to that darkness and you can find your way out and never go back to that darkness again.

We know this because of Genesis 1. We see the power of God’s word to create anything and everything. The problem is, we are only allowing the lesson to impact us on the surface. We’re not getting the lesson into our spirits to change how we respond to real life.

That’s what happened to the disciples. They had just worked with Jesus to miraculously feed a crowd of thousands with 5 small fish and 2 pieces of bread. We’re not even talking about a basket full of food to begin with, we’re actually talking about the lunch of a boy who was in the crowd. These were more like 5 little sardines and 2 pita breads. That’s what Jesus had to work with. Essentially a fish sandwich. As Jesus prayed over what little there was, he broke it and gave it to his disciples to feed to the crowd. They kept coming back to Jesus for more food, and from so little, there was so much. In the end, the entire hungry crowd of thousands had eaten until they were all full, and afterwards the disciples gathered 12 baskets full of leftovers.

Miraculous. Jesus worked in the details and they saw it. Every detail was taken care of. There was a problem, and Jesus miraculously worked in the problem.

But do you know what happened next? Next, Jesus told the disciples to get in a boat and go across the lake. Late that night, in the middle of the lake, they encounter serious trouble. A storm is threatening to sink their boat with wild winds and waves. Then, they see Jesus out walking on the water and they are terrified. But Jesus climbs in their boat and brings calm to the storm. Every detail was once again taken care of in the presence of Jesus. There was never any reason to worry. Jesus miraculously works in the problems.

And here’s the point for us today – After Jesus gets in the boat and calms the storm, Luke 6:52 says, “They still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.”

Jesus had just shown them his miraculous power in the details of a problem. They had literally just came from feeding the crowd of thousands of people with a boy’s lunch. After seeing Jesus working in those details, they should have known he would work in the details of the next problem too. The lesson of the loaves was sitting in their boat in the form of 12 baskets full of leftovers. But when the next problem hit, they forgot. The lesson hadn’t gotten into their heart.

God is showing us, his girls, his power in the details all around us. May our hearts be soft and receptive. May we see his power in creation, and therefore trust his power in the unfolding of what is now and what is to come.

The lessons are all around us. Let’s see them, receive them, trust them, and move forward in faith with them today.

May your eyes be wide open today, may you SEE God working in the details. May your heart fully receive the lesson God is showing you so nothing takes your praise. If God can do that, then he can do this. If he has the power to make that happen, then he can make this happen. Open your eyes and see it!

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