The Importance of Nothing
This last week I listened to a mini inspirational speech on the "Importance of Nothing" by Nick Saban, sportscaster, analyst, and former and future hall of fame football coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Here is what he said:
“You get up every day and you’re entitled to NOTHING.
Nobody owes you…NOTHING.
You can have talent, but if you don’t have discipline, and you don’t execute and you don’t focus, what do you get? NOTHING.
If you’re complacent and not paying attention to detail what does that get you? NOTHING.
So NOTHING is acceptable but your best.”
There’s a lot of truth to Saban’s words and they can be used to give inspiration to life’s pursuits, but NOTHING is truly better than the importance of NOTHING from God’s point of view. Consider the following words about NOTHING:
David spoke these words after taking responsibility for his sin against God for taking a census of Israel’s manpower, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord that cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24:24).
A destitute widow was about to lose her two sons to enslavement to a creditor when she cried out to Elisha the prophet for help. She offered her last jar of oil which God miraculously multiplied in as many vessels as she could find and borrow. She then was told to sell them and pay off her debt, which she did, and was blessed with enough provision to continue to live with her sons. When Elisha the prophet asked “What do you have in the house?” She said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil” (2 Kings 4:2). God can turn the nothings in our life into somethings when we offer it to Him.
When God offered His faithful servant Job to Satan for one of the greatest trials he would ever face, Satan said: “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (Job 1:9)
Our God is so big, He “hangs the earth on nothing” (Job 26:7).
David pretty much sums it up: “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you" (Ps. 16:2).
As our Creator, God knows who we are: “For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are nothing but dust” (Ps. 103:14).
Before we get pulled into what looks beautiful, helpful, and fulfilling, remember this: “The idols of the nations are nothing but gold and silver” (Ps 135:15), “they are altogether stupid and foolish; the instruction from idols is nothing but wood” (Je. 10:8).
Solomon, a King who God made wiser than anyone else said, “I know there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime” (Ecc. 3:12).
Our Almighty and sovereign God said, “All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless” (Isa. 40:17), and “It is He who reduces rulers to nothing” (Isa. 40:23).
How powerful is our God? Jeremiah said this: “Oh, Lord GOD! Behold, You Yourself have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jer. 32:17).
When Jesus asked His disciples what food was available to feed around 20,000 people, they said, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish” (Matt. 14:17), and He turned little into much and they still had “twelve full baskets” (Matt. 14:20) leftover.
There are no limits to what the Lord can do when we trust Him. Jesus said, “Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matt. 17:20).
This was helpful information to a 12–14 year old girl who was stunned by the news that she would conceive the Messiah and that her barren relative Elizabeth was pregnant: “for nothing will be impossible with God” (Lk 1:37).
What Jesus said to Peter, an experienced fisherman, before he was about to land probably his largest catch of fish ever: “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets" (Luke 5:5).
Insightful words by the thief on the cross that remind us of our Savior’s undeserving, innocent sacrifice: “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this Man has done nothing wrong" (Luke 23:41).
Words from Jesus we must never forget regarding our vital dependence upon Him, “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
What was said about some skeptical religious leaders when they saw the man who had been miraculously healed: “And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply” (Acts 4:14).
Paul’s great lesson on true indebtedness: “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law” (Rom. 13:8).
Some profound words by Paul about our most important message: “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” 1 Cor. 2:2).
You can know and do a lot of things in life, but never be without this: “If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2).
How God wants us to relate to others: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves” (Phil; 2:3).
When it comes to possessions, keep this readily in mind: “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either” (1 Tim. 6:7).
The pathway to being fully supplied in life: “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jms 1:2–4).
Who goes to heaven? John wrote: “And nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life” (Rev. 21:27).
So NOTHING is very consequential according to God!
Pastor Jeff
“I think the greatest weakness in the church today is that almost no one believes that God invests his power in the Bible. Everyone is looking for power in a program, in a technique, in anything and everything except where God has placed it: his Word.”