Sunday, May 18th The Majesty of God…

Ask yourself; over the years what have I been taught about God that has lead me to view Him as something less than he is? Or, what experiences have I had that have done the same?

We all come to the table with a view of God. Fortunately or unfortunately, this “view” is framed, shaped and molded by our surroundings, experiences, parents, teachers, pastors, spiritual leaders and our culture. Whether we like it or not, this “view” in more ways than we care to admit determines how we see the world, how we treat others and how we live our lives everyday. Our view of God is the “filter” or “lens” through which we “do life”…

I was thinking; for one reason or another we allow almost anything and everything other than God to shape our view of him. Weird, maybe it’s just me…

This week we want to look at the Majesty of God; the idea that he is so magnificent and majestic his is beyond our comprehension, and yet in the midst of this majesty he longs to whisper into our ear; whispers of encouragement, hope, support and direction. How cool is that?

So, take some time this week to read the following and then ponder through a few questions listed below. If you can, set aside any “caricatures” of God that you have in your head. Have fun, let God speak to you, open your mind and heart to what he has to say…

Psalm 139:1-18 (New International Version)

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

Psalm 86:1-13 (New International Version)

1 Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant
who trusts in you.
3 Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant,
for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.
5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, O LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
for you will answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Here are a few more questions to ponder:

How do you see that distance and closeness of God working in your life?
What parts/attributes of God seem unimaginable to you?
What parts/attributes have of God you experienced personally?

Will you sit with Him this week and allow him to whisper into your ear?


Personal note:

For the longest time I viewed God has this cosmic judge who really enjoyed sending people into a fiery hell, and that one of his biggest pleasures was to make sure that I never had any fun; if I simply obeyed the rules then I was a good boy. I’m not sure where this came from, but this was my view of God. So, after high school, which was a struggle, I took the path of least resistance – it was party time.

But then at the age of 35, I discovered the real God; the real Jesus who loves a party, but this party was different. It’s was an adventurous party of abandoning self and following Him to the ends of the earth. It’s almost reckless, but at the same time it’s calming.

You see, the majesty of God reveals his trandsendence (above all things) and at the same time it reveals his immanence (ever so close) as well. How cool is that...