A Small Stone with a Big Legacy

Scripture: Isaiah 51:1 – “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug.” (NRSVUE)

It is very easy to feel small. Part of it is that there are billions of people in the world and you are just one of them. Part of it is that the rich and powerful seem to be able to do whatever they want while as you have to scrimp and save and accept the things you cannot change. And as you look upon suffering and injustice and want to change things, you can feel like a very small pebble amongst boulders.

The thing is that small stones weren’t always small and may once have been part of mighty mountains. In the Book of Isaiah, it says, “Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug.” The context of this declaration is the suffering of the exiled Jews in Babylon. The prophet is trying to provide comfort. He knows that Babylon will soon fall and that freedom will soon come to the people. But their hope has chipped away. Once they were part of a great nation; now they are just exiled outsiders in an empire that cares little for them.

The prophet reminds them that they are more than just their meager state. Their origins were lofty. They are the descendants of Abraham and Sarah, an old and barren couple that God transformed into the forebears of a countless multitude. Their legacy is not just an ancient origin, but a covenant with God, a connection of faith and trust that should never be ignored. The city of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah may have been destroyed and may seem like a wasteland, but the prophet promises that it will become like Eden again. The fortune of the people will be restored. They will have a homeland again. And those who seek righteousness will find it once more. All the people have to do is to remember that they are more than what they seem and to put their trust in God.

We, too, are the descendants to a marvelous legacy, even if we may forget it. For God has blessed all those who seek righteousness and justice, who seek to bring peace and honor to their communities. When the world seems like a wreck and your grip on a stable life seems like it is hanging by a thread, remember your origins. Remember the rocks from which you were hewn. You are small, but you are mighty. And remember, it was a small stone that felled Goliath. You too can do remarkable things when you remember the power of the God who has loved you.

Prayer: God, help me imagine what I can be when I put my trust in you. Amen.

Image credit: Bogdan Mile, stocksnap.io