Consider His Greatness…

So, a couple of my friends and I were having lunch and the conversation turned to a discussion about the majesty of God. Oftentimes, when we read the Bible, or hear sermons, we hear or read things like, “the God of all creation”, or “the all-powerful God”. Maybe it’s just me but sometimes, when I hear or read these words, they don’t mean much to me. I mean, yes, I know God is an all-powerful, omnipotent, omniscient, ever-loving God but do I really know? I believe sometimes, these words are hard for us to grasp because we don’t fully understand what those words mean or we haven’t really had an experience of The God of all creation, the all-Powerful God. For example, because of my limited understanding and experience of creation as a whole, I cannot fully grasp that statement: “the God of all creation”. I mean, what does that really mean? This prompted me to do an investigation of sorts about the universe. After the little bit of investigation I did, all I could day was WOW! Some of these facts we all already know and learned in school, but it’s always a good thing to look at it from a different perspective…a God perspective.

First of all, the universe has as many as a 100 billion galaxies, one of which is called The Milky Way. The Milky way has billions of stars, one of which is the Earth’s sun. So, within this Milky Way lies Earth, one of the eight or so planets (Pluto is not considered a planet anymore, right?) in our solar system that orbits the sun. Now, our planet, Earth is only a very small part of the universe but is the only planet life exists. Why? Most living things need the sun’s warmth and light for life but if Earth were too close to the sun, it would be too hot for living things. On the other hand, if Earth were too far from the sun, it would be too cold for anything to live thus Earth is exactly where it’s supposed to be (NASA).  Why is any of this important?

Oftentimes as Christians, we go through periods in our lives that just don’t seem to make sense…periods of heartache, pain, loss, suffering, and much more. These times may cause us to question God’s power and authority, or His concern for us and humanity, or even His very existence. Take Job for example. Yes, we all know Job (at least, we all should and if you haven’t yet been acquainted with him, you should by reading the whole book of Job), who was considered “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1, NKJV). He went through heartache, pain, loss, suffering, and much more and though he did not “curse God and die” as his wife suggested he do (Job 2:9, NKJV), he made some very wrong assumptions that questioned the character of God. God confronts him later in Job 38-41 by revealing Himself as the all-powerful, all-knowing, God of ALL creation. This revelation prompted Job to repent for “uttering words [he] did not understand, things too wonderful for [him]” (Job 42:3).

In the midst of our trials, because of our limited understanding of Who God is, our perception oftentimes becomes clouded and skewed. Our view of what He might be doing in our lives becomes myopic, but no one but God can tell us what God might want to reveal during our “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalms 23:4), not even our closest friends (as Job’s friends tried to). The only way we will be able to see what God is doing through our circumstances is by considering His greatness; getting a revelation of who God is as the all-powerful, all-knowing God of all creation, and this begins by repentance (turning away from old and false mindsets and submitting to the will of the sovereign Lord of the universe). Job realized that his limited knowledge of who God was and is skewed his perception of what God was doing in his life. He said, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You…therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6, NKJV; emphasis mine).

Then again, you might not understand what God is doing through your trials. Note that God did not explain to Job why Job went through his trial but Job knew without a shadow of a doubt that God was in control (after God’s revelation to him). So, know that God is still in control and His love for you is indescribable. Know that He has you in the palm of His ever-capable hands. Know that the same God who created this vast universe, the same God who carefully placed Earth in the right position in the universe can position you exactly where you need to be. It doesn’t matter what’s going on around you…keep your focus on God (Isaiah 26:3; Heb 12:1-2). One small note that bears reminding: if your trials are due to some disobedience on your part, there will be consequences but again, repentance is the key (Ps 51:17). He is a merciful God, a God who can turn our situations around, in spite of our mistakes.

It’s time for us as Christians to become acquainted with The God of all creation; The all-powerful, ever-living God; The Creator of Heaven and Earth! It’s time for us to consider His greatness! My prayer for us all is the same prayer the Apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesians, that…
“the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give [us] the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of [our] understanding being enlightened; that [we] may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in [us], and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe…” (Eph 1:17-10, NKJV).