There is an old cautionary statement related to contracts and business transactions that says, “The devil is in the details.” I take this to mean we need to read and understand the contingencies related to the deal we are making before we sign our name to the paper. In the housing crisis a decade ago lots of people lost their houses because they didn’t pay attention to the fact their sub-prime loan rate would change, resulting in much higher mortgage payments. The devil was in the details.
I don’t do particularly well with details. When Cecelia and I do projects together, I’m the big picture guy and she is the detail person. For example, I paint the walls and she paints the trim. Working together we usually end up with something that pleases both of us.
As I was walking this morning a scripture verse I read recently came to mind and I said it out loud, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”1 Thessalonians 5:18. Just before bedtime last night I received an email from a book agent telling me they are not going to be working with me on my book project. They were very kind and professional but I understand the bottom line; it is a rejection. I have been working on this project for almost three years and am beginning to realize God’s purpose in this writing may be different from mine.
I can only give thanks in this “rejection” if I’m convinced that God is in the details of my life. I’m not particularly thankful for the rejection but that He has a personal concern for me and will use this for my good. I believe in the promise in Romans 8:28 and I can see this development in that light. I firmly believe the book can be helpful and encouraging to lots of people but God doesn’t need the book to get that done. His primary goal with me is to work in the details; the disappointments and victories to make me more like Jesus.
It’s a bit overwhelming to think about just how God loves details. For example, do you realize our planet rotates around the sun at exact angles to produces our seasons? And did you know the sun’s gravitational pull is such that it keeps the earth on track year after year? If God ignored that detail, we would go spinning off into oblivion. Look around you at the detail of creation. Think about your body and the systems that coordinate to keep you healthy and alive. Life is a miracle and God’s exquisite details are everywhere.
As believers, we have a great advantage over the nonbeliever regarding details. And, for that, we should be grateful. That’s what Paul is telling us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. God knows us intimately and is constantly working for our good. Luke 12:7 tells us that “the hairs on our head are numbered.” Not all things that happen to us are good. Not all things are convenient. Not all things turn out the way we wish. But even in our disappointment and pain, we can give thanks because God is with us and will “work in everything for good to those of us who love him.”