“You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth, and You gave them water for their thirst. Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want; their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell. You also gave them kingdoms and peoples, and allotted them to them as a boundary.”

—Nehemiah 9:20-22a

One of the things I love most about God is how He can operate on a cosmic scale and a microscopic scale at exactly the same time. At the same time that He is sustaining all the stars in the universe, He is also watching over every automatic process taking place in each of the 36 trillion cells that make up each human body. And He’s taking care of everything that falls in between. It’s just amazing!

What’s even more amazing is that this also applies to our individual lives. It can be easy, especially in difficult times, to fall into the trap of believing that God loves us and provides for us on a grand scale by providing for our basic needs, but is just a little too busy to take care of the small things. But nothing could be further from the truth!

I love this passage in Nehemiah about the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness because it is a reminder that God sees and is taking care of the big things, but He’s also taking care of the little things, the things we probably don’t even notice. It was a difficult journey and it’s pretty clear from the narrative that the people were generally not very happy with the way things were going. The people made it clear because they complained regularly. They complained so much that Moses had a God-just-take-me-now moment because of it.

They complained about being pursued by the Egyptians. They complained about not having enough water. They complained about not having food. Then they complained about not having meat. When God gave them meat, they turned around and complained about not having enough variety in their diet. I’m sure they also complained about the heat and the sand and the sun and anything else that felt a little uncomfortable.

Know what they didn’t complain about? Not having clothing or shoes.

On one hand, God was actively working on the Israelites’ behalf to bring them to the Promised Land. That’s a pretty big thing. They were an orphaned nation with no home. They had known nothing but slavery so they had to learn to be a free, sovereign nation, and God used the wilderness to provide for both of those needs, even though I’m willing to bet the Israelites didn’t realize the second need.

God also saw to their more immediate big needs like food and water. He even made sure they were provided for before they started their journey by softening the hearts of the Egyptians toward their Hebrew neighbors so they would give them some farewell gifts. God took care of it all, but every time He didn’t take care of those things as quickly as they wanted Him to or in the specific way they wanted Him to, they complained.

In these same verses in Nehemiah, however, we see another layer to the story. While God’s people complained about the manner in which He provided for their needs, He was also taking care of things they barely even noticed. I’m not aware of any instance where the Hebrews collectively thanked God for making sure they weren’t wandering around the desert naked with swollen bare feet, but even so, he miraculously made sure their clothes didn’t wear thin and their shoes didn’t get holes in them.

From the very beginning of their journey, He was on the lookout for what they needed. He was looking for how they would need Him to provide and He did so even though they weren’t particularly grateful for His care.

What’s even more amazing is that even though all the requests recorded by the people came in the form of complaints, God still provided for them when they entered the Promised Land.

Here’s what the Israelites complained about: dying in the wilderness, being thirsty, not having bread, not having meat, not having fish, and not having access to certain vegetables like melons, onions, garlic, and leeks.

When the Hebrews moved into the Promised Land, they were given a land that was fertile and bountiful. It contained ancient wells built by their forefathers that still draw water to this day. It was suited to raising livestock to give them meat. It was on the Mediterranean Sea, which allowed them to harvest fish. It was good for growing crops. Not just the veggies they were craving in the wilderness, but also grapes and figs and olives—foods that combine health and sweetness and pleasure.

Even in the difficult times, even when the Israelites weren’t doing the best job at being faithful to God, He heard what their hearts desired. Even the little things. He knew what His children wanted, and while He didn’t give them everything they wanted right away, He did provide for even those little desires when the time was right.

It’s the same with us. God doesn’t just care about the big things. He also sees the desires we have for the little things that make life easier and more enjoyable. He may not provide them right away. If those things aren’t in our best interest, He might not provide them at all, but because of who He has shown Himself to be in Scripture, we can approach Him confidently, even with the little things, knowing that He cares about it all.