I think God is a fan of themes. There are lots of themes you can pick up on when you are reading through the Bible in larger chunks over the course of time. This is the opposite of what I believe is more common: reading the Bible in a few-verses-at-a-time sections and then bouncing around to the next thought that catches your attention. There is a place for both styles of reading the Bible, but the latter can, much more easily, lead to misunderstanding, and misapplication of Scripture.
When I think of those big picture themes, I am talking about concepts that exist from Genesis to Revelation. Examples that come to mind are things like God's authority over everything, or God's unwillingness to give up on us despite our generally deplorable treatment of him. But the one theme that is sticking out in my head right now is God's desire to make great, or large, or abundant, that which was previously weak, small or bare. We see this theme expressed in so many ways within Scripture that it's almost impossible to list them all. So instead of presenting an exhaustive list, I'll look at a couple that really stand out.
I think the most obvious, and probably most important, way God does this in Scripture is with his disciples, both in the Old Testament and New Testament. In fact, I would say that all the other ways in which God illustrates this theme in scripture is towards the penultimate end of making "great" his disciples. The ultimate end, of course, being to receive their glory and praise himself.
In the Old Testament we have such heroes of faith as Moses, Joseph and Samson. Some of the leading characteristics of these men's lives prior to God's intervention was cowardice, arrogance, and lust respectively. In the New Testament we have characters like Peter, Paul, even Zacchaeus! Before Jesus these men were, in order, an uneducated fisherman, a murderer of Christians, and a tax-embezzler. This is not to say they suddenly ceased to struggle upon the intervention of God. But rather, their potential was seen and developed by God where humans alone would have likely missed it entirely. They were made great not because they were great in themselves, but because they made the decision to trust in God's faithfulness and his ability to make them great.
We also see this theme is the area of the physical world. In the OT Elisha encounters a poor woman who's in a large amount of debt. He tells her to go home and take her small amount of lamp oil and begin filling jugs. Jug after jug is filled and the oil never runs out. She sells the jugs of oil and repays her debt. Or in the NT, God tells his apostles to take the 5 loaves and 2 fish of a local boy and feed a crowd of many thousands. After prayer, they break the bread and fish and begin handing it out. It is more than enough. Basket-fulls are picked up afterwards. God is often over-abundant, giving us far more than we need.
(1) God takes the small and makes it large. (2) This serves to build up faith in his children (taking the weak and making them strong), (3) who in turn choose to give increasing glory to Him. At least that's the pattern. Unfortunately, we are fallen, rebellious sinners. So the pattern actually continues to (4) us becoming complacent and ultimately abandoning God's love. (5) We then find our self in one of life's many difficult moments and we decide to call out to God...again. And God is ever-faithful. (1) Once again he makes great something or someone who is weak. He strengthens us, refuses to abandon us and so the theme has repeated since creation.
We should find comfort in this. God was and still is our great provider. This is not simply to provide us with our physical needs like clothes, food and shelter (although, if we need it he will provide it). God understands our needs fully and broadly. God will make us great. He will make YOU great. I can also almost assure you that it won't come in the way or trajectory within your life that you expect. But God is always faithful. God has authority over all things. He makes what is nothing to be amazing, beautiful, clean and perfect.
God's grace is sufficient, his power is made perfect in our weakness. So don't fear or question your own shortcomings when you approach God. For the glory of God, we must try to be content in our weaknesses and not assume our past or current struggles are too much for God to handle. In Christ, when I am weak, I am made strong! In Christ, when I am empty, I am made full! In Christ, when I am beaten or broken, I am made better than new! My cup overflows, all for the sake of the glory of God.
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