"The Day of Small Beginnings" - Zechariah 4:10

“The Day of Small Beginnings” – Zechariah 4:10

A bestselling legal fiction writer shares the story of his beginnings as a writer.  A braggadocio, he bombarded his wife with his aspirations and intentions of writing a book.  She soon grew tired of his empty words and “bankrupt idealism.”  On hearing his vague and vacuous pledges of writing again, she sternly replied, “I do not wish to hear another word about any book you are writing until you have written it.”  That forceful verbal punch changed his life.  Humbled by his wife’s chastening rod, a lawyer at the time, he returned home from work on the next day to embark upon his prominent, lucrative and enduringly successful writing career.  He sat down with a pen and a spiral notebook.  He began his first novel writing by hand.  He made an agreement with himself that he would write at least one page per day by hand.  He did not read or edit anything he wrote in this drafting stage.  He allowed the pages to accumulate one-at-a-time.  Eventually, he wrote four hundred and fifty pages which became his first novel.  That first page was the acorn that produced the oak tree of his destiny as a writer.

The day on which this New York Times bestselling author wrote his first page was “the day of small beginnings.”  He could not possibly have envisioned the celebrity, wealth and overwhelmingly prosperous lifestyle that would unfold in subsequent days.  He refused to allow this deeply embedded desire in his heart to burn out.  Rather than squelching it, his wife’s forceful words actually reignited the flames of his dreams.  Still, he acted upon his mustard seed’s worth of faith and made a small beginning.  His acorn grew into an impressive and towering oak.

“Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hands of Zerubbabel?” (Zechariah 4:10)  Contextually, this verse in Zechariah is an exhortation to the people of Israel who scoffed at the rebuilding of the Temple.  Solomon’s great and glorious Temple was destroyed summarily by the Babylonians in 587 BCE.  One of the eight wonders of the Ancient Near Eastern world, Solomon’s grand Temple was priceless and irreplaceable.  A half century after its destruction, a vision came to rebuild.  When workers began to build the foundation for the new temple, observers ridiculed their efforts.  Surely, they could not possibly build anything comparable to what the previous generations enjoyed.  With divine providence, provision and protection which the seven eyes of the Lord represent, the workers actually accomplished this main feat twenty-one years later.  The people who laughed initially then changed their attitude and began to rejoice.

Great inventions and corporations began in garages, basements and bathtubs.  Some persons stumbled upon ideas as they were fixing other problems.  The man who holds the patent for the super water guns was repairing an appliance in the basement.  Needing additional water to complete this repair, he followed the inspiration to sketch, design and build a high power water gun.  With receipt of his first royalty check which surpassed seven figures in multiples, he knew his life had changed forever.  Yet, it began with a small water problem in his house.

As God is not a respecter of persons and does not show favoritism, He graciously and freely gives inspiration, discipline and perseverance to anyone who asks.  Should you possess a latent heartfelt desire and dream, you may seek divine favor as you pursue its fulfillment.  Though you may encounter the cynicism of other people even family members or close friends, confidently you can take the first step toward a whole new life.  Chapter sixty-four of the Tao Te Ching teaches the immortal yet very practically applicable wisdom, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  Should other people doubt you, they will eventually resemble the ancient scoffers in Israel who exchanged their laughter for rejoicing when they observe your monumental and indescribable success.  Let no one despise the day of your small yet significant beginnings.