A Drop in a Bucket
The sermon emphasizes the insignificance of human endeavors and the vastness of God's greatness, which is beyond human comprehension.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the insignificance of worldly possessions and nations in comparison to the greatness of God, illustrating that all earthly achievements are merely drops in a bucket when weighed against the divine portion that belongs to believers. He uses the analogy of Alcibiades and Socrates to highlight the futility of pride in material wealth, reminding us that even the most expansive lands are but tiny specks in the grand scheme of creation. Brooks encourages the congregation to grasp the immeasurable value of their relationship with God, which far surpasses any earthly treasure, and to find hope and fulfillment in Him alone.
Text
"The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore
I will hope in Him." Lamentations 3:24
"Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are
considered as a speck of dust on the scales; He lifts up
the islands like fine dust." Isaiah 40:15
All nations are but as a drop in a bucket, that may in a
moment be wiped off with a finger--in comparison of God,
nay, they are all nothing; but that word is too high, for
they are less than nothing. Had a man as many worlds at
his command as there are men on earth, or angels in heaven,
yet they would be but as so many drops, or as so many
atoms--compared to a saint's portion!
When Alcibiades was proudly boasting of his spacious lands,
Socrates wittily rebukes his pride by bringing him a map of
the world, and wishing him to show him where his lands did
lie; his lands would hardly amount to more than the prick of
a pin. England, Scotland, and Ireland are but three little spots
compared to the vast continents which are in other parts of
the world; and what then is your palace, your lordships, your
manors, your farm, your house, your cottage--but a little speck
--but a prick of a pin--compared to God, who is so great,
so vast a portion!
Oh, sirs! if you had the understanding of all the angels in
heaven, and the tongues of all the men on earth, yet you
would not be able to conceive, express, or set forth the
greatness and largeness of a saint's portion.
Can you count the stars of heaven, or number the sands of
the sea, or stop the sun in his course, or make a new world?
Then, and not until then, will you be able to declare what a
great, what an immense portion God is. If "no eye has seen,
no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has
prepared for those who love Him", oh how much less, then,
are they able to declare the great things that God has laid
up for His people in the eternal world!
Sermon Outline
- The insignificance of human endeavors
- The vastness of God's greatness
- The limitations of human knowledge
- We cannot count the stars or number the sands
- We cannot comprehend God's greatness
Key Quotes
“All nations are but as a drop in a bucket, that may in a moment be wiped off with a finger--in comparison of God, nay, they are all nothing;” — Thomas Brooks
“Can you count the stars of heaven, or number the sands of the sea, or stop the sun in his course, or make a new world?” — Thomas Brooks
“If 'no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him'” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Recognize your own limitations and insignificance compared to God's greatness.
- Pursue a deeper understanding of God's vastness and incomprehensible greatness.
- Cultivate a sense of humility and awe in the presence of God's greatness.