The Grandeur of God

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalms 145:3

 

Like many, I am tempted to make God out to be something a lot like myself. Sometimes I picture God as just another person in the sky who just happens to have a lot of power. Sometimes I see Him as an old man, a grandfather figure, say, who gives me a wink and nudge when things get rough. Yet are these pictures of God accurate to the Biblical description of God? Is God a mere “glorified man?” No, He is more.

The Scripture says that God’s greatness is “unsearchable,” or, rather, unfathomable. There is no possible way for finite man to fully comprehend the grandeur of God. One commentator says that “God’s power and might are so great that finite human minds are unable to comprehend them fully. This verse [Psalm 145:3] teaches the doctrine of the incomprehensibility of God. People can have a true understanding of God, but never a complete or exhaustive one.”

It is true that the finite mind cannot ever, by definition, comprehend that which is infinite. God surpasses all of our understanding. This includes His many attributes such as love, mercy, and justice. Because of this surpassing splendor, we are to fall at the foot of His throne in worship, fear, and awe as we ponder His greatness. The surpassing greatness of God testifies to the fact that He alone is worthy of worship, for there is none other like Him. As St. Anselm once said of God: “…Thou art a being than which none greater can be thought.”

None is greater than God.

Yet, in all His greatness, in His entire splendor, God chose to make Himself known. God, while retaining His divinity, became a man and, as the Scripture says, “dwelt among us.”

God came near.

The fact of the incarnation remains a complete mystery to me as I ponder the complexity of it. Christ, fully human, yet fully divine. My only response is worship and fear. I am left in awe.

Though the greatness of God may be unsearchable, we can still praise Him for his incomprehensibility. In fact, how could God be God if we could fully understand Him? The fact remains that our God is worthy of worship because He is completely inexhaustible in knowledge, wisdom, and power.

May we worship Him for who He is.

M

 

 

The Greatest Theological Truth Ever

When one theologian was asked what the most profound theological truth he had ever learned was, he responded, “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so.” I would have to agree. I don’t know how it is, but we so easily forget this great truth.

Recently, I went through a very trying and difficult time. I was pretty much “down in the dumps,” as they say. I remember being angry, hurt, and scared of what life held for me. I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. I seemed to have forgotten that one essential truth: that God loves me. It took me a few days to gain my composure and remember that truth, but once I did I had such a peace and a comfort that really did surpass my understanding. Actually, that truth hit me like a lightning bolt. It was as if God stormed into my life and screamed, “Hey! I love you and will always love you!”

Lest my words rob you of seeing the simplistic nature of this great truth, I will end this entry with the following:

Despite your sin, Jesus loves you.

 

His servant,

M. L. Halsted