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A young woman refused to wear her engagement ring because the diamond was so small. Her friends told her, “Look, the ring is a symbol of his commitment; don’t despise it because it’s small. Ring size has nothing to do with his love.” God’s people had to learn that same lesson. We see it in Ezra Chapter 3. After 70 year in captivity, they were back in their land. Two years after their return, they had bought lumber and begun to rebuild the Temple Nebuchadnezzar destroyed. They united behind Zerubbabel and worked together to complete the job. When they finished it, they all gathered for a great celebration. During the celebration, the younger people praised God for allowing them to return home from Babylon. The older people wept. They cried as they remembered their first Temple—the one King Solomon had built. That one was so expensive and glorious that by comparison, this one made them cry. God sent them a message by Zechariah, “Do not despise small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.” So when we undertake projects for God that begin small, we can do so with confidence. Our love for God ought to mean more than the size of our undertaking, just as a couple’s love for each other should mean far more than the size of the jewel on the ring.
