God Works the Details

Paying attention to little details plays an important part of most endeavors. For example, a programmer failed to convert metric units into English and caused a multimillion-dollar satellite to crash into Mars. People often judge from the details whether or not a product, music, or art is well or poorly done.
Almost any profession, vocation, or worthwhile endeavor requires experience through practice, education, and training in order to notice the important details that make the work easier and better. Painters of art need experience mixing colors and learning brush strokes. Players of musical instruments need years of practice to perfect musical techniques and interpretation. A physical scientist must take very exacting measurements and account for many variables.
Church work also goes well when details are not ignored. The organist must not only practice but also understand the theme of each Sunday. The Sunday School teacher needs to study the Bible lesson and know how it relates to Jesus. The altar guild members should understand the detailed liturgical practice of the Church. The pastor needs to be aware of the details in Scripture—Law and Gospel and its original languages—in order to faithfully present God’s message of salvation. Paying attention to the details of the church year and the liturgy is important to help people in their worship.
The point of this comparison is that we do not always see what the artist, musician, scientist, teacher, or pastor does to accomplish his or her task. In a similar way, we do not see what things God does to help us in our lives, to provide for our needs, to keep us on the path of eternal life. Yet God is able to influence the events of history so that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28).
When God sent His Son into the world as its Redeemer, Jesus had to carry out the exacting work of our redemption. When Jesus was born under the Law, one tiny mistake or one evil thought would have ended His ability to save the world. God’s justice required a most exacting payment for sins. Jesus carefully fulfilled every detail of God’s prophecies in order to fulfill all righteousness and complete the salvation of the entire world of sinners. The Holy Spirit carefully inspired the words of Scripture so that Jesus and His work of salvation are revealed absolute truth.
Concerning our salvation, God took care of every detail so that no human effort is needed. For St. Paul says that those whom God predestined, “These He also called, whom He called, these He also justified, and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:30). With regard to our conversion, the Holy Spirit works through His Means of Grace—Word, Baptism, Absolution, Lord’s Supper—to call, gather, enlighten, sanctify, and keep the whole Christian Church in the one true faith.
God has dealt with every detail of our salvation. Nothing depends on our actions or deeds and nothing was left undone. God’s attention to detail is very comforting because we can be assured that if God has worked our salvation, it is complete and sufficient.
Appreciate the attention to detail that God continually shows—in preserving our life, in giving us the Means of Grace to sustain our faith, and in leading us through the pitfalls of life to the home Jesus is preparing for us.
Theodore Gullixson is pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin.