There’s an expression in the 50th Psalm where God calls out those who do not pay attention to Him or His word as He says, “You thought I was altogether like yourself…” What a mistake to try to bring down God to make Him out to be like us or to “dumb down His word or His ways. Here’s what God reminds us about His ways and His thoughts:
Isaiah 55:8–9 (ESV) — 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
When Job had to be reminded about God and His ways, Job had nothing more to say, in fact he put his hand over his mouth as he said:
Job 40:5 (ESV) — 5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.”
Why is it so important to recognize God for who He is? Our worship rests upon that principle for we will never worship properly if we are trying to bring God down to us. Our faith rests upon it for our faith is only as great as the object of our faith. Our service really depends upon our recognizing the greatness of God for to serve out of love is to comprehend, albeit ever so slightly, the vastness of His love.
John 4:23 (ESV) — 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
Hebrews 11:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) — 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Ephesians 3:14–19 (ESV) — 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Everything about God and everything He does can only be described with superlatives, which upon further investigation only scratch the surface of the immensity of His greatness. Let’s consider a few examples:
Stop and consider God’s mighty creation including the wonder of the human body:
Job 37:14 (ESV) — 14 “Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
Psalm 8:3–4 (ESV) — 3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 139:13–15 (ESV) — 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Or consider the magnificence of God having revealed Himself to us in creation and His word:
Romans 1:19–20 (ESV) — 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Psalm 138:2 (ESV) — 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
Psalm 19:7–9 (ESV) — 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
Psalm 119:18 (ESV) — 18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Psalm 119:89 (ESV) — 89 Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.
Psalm 12:6 (ESV) — 6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
No wonder then as we stop and ponder on the greatness of God, His work in creation, and the revelation of His word that we are reminded by the mounting of superlatives of what He is able to do:
Ephesians 3:20–21 (ESV) — 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker
