Thursday, July 15, 2021

To Grasp It, You Need To Know You Need It

My brain has trouble grasping God's greatness. I can know from what Jesus did on the cross that God is for me, and I can read all about how great God is, but when all that doesn't translate into a steady confidence in him amidst life's constant troubles, I know I'm not really getting it. After all, if the God who wants to help me is truly great and mighty and awesome beyond description, shouldn't that give me confidence amidst any of the troubles I face?  

Psalm 145:3 says, God's "greatness is unsearchable." Immeasurable. Unquantifiable. Boundless. And Psalm 147:5 says, "Great is the Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite." What a combination to comprehend – awesome power and infinite understanding. What a comfort it ought to be that such a God is "for us" (Rom. 8:31). 

But Psalm 147 goes on to tell us the key to truly receiving this revelation of who God is. Psalm 147:6 says that God "lifts up the humble" and verse ten says that "He does not delight in the strength of the horse" or "in the legs of a man." Verse eleven is the key: The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy." In other words, our revelation of God's greatness needs to be combined with a revelation of my weakness, my neediness, my dependence on God. God's greatness will only benefit the humble. My comprehension of God's power is connected to my dependence on him.

And then why wouldn't I depend on a God who I've discovered to be mighty in power, infinite in understanding, and merciful to the humble? What a great God! It's no wonder Psalm 147 begins and ends with "Praise the Lord!"

© 2021 Ken Peters


Tuesday, July 6, 2021

The way to begin a day...

I have had difficult days when I've awakened from sleep with a great sense of futility. After struggling with the same old issues in my heart for so long, I've sometimes felt like there's no hope of change. Will I ever stop believing the lies I'm so prone to believing? Will I ever stop getting tripped up by the same vulnerabilities? It creates a horrible hopelessness. But amidst such days, I go through the motions anyway, and try to begin each day seeking God as I read the Bible.

And as I did that recently, I suddenly felt struck as I read the psalmist declare, "While I live I will praise the Lord" (Psalm 146:2). 

It's such a simple statement, and I felt halted by it. I just stared at it, thinking of what it said. While I am alive – "while I have my being," he says – as long as I'm breathing, I'm going to praise the Lord. That's the psalmist's approach to life. Not hopelessness, but praise. Not a focus on self, but on Yahweh – the faithful, covenant-keeping God who draws near. In other words, why wake up with a complaint on my lips about my inadequacies when I can wake up praising the God who wants to be with me and help me every moment of my day? 

The psalmist then writes, "Happy [or blessed] is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry, the Lord gives freedom to the prisoners" (vv.5-7). I can be happy because the God who helps all the people listed there also wants to help me! The one who "keeps truth forever" never changes, and he won't disappoint those who put their trust in him. 

So why on earth would I ever struggle with a sense of futility when such a great God "who made heaven and earth" has offered to personally help me? Yes, imperfect me! And you! 

No wonder the psalmist described people who have such a God as happy! The truth is, if God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31) And that is why it's better to begin my day praising the Lord rather than complaining about me.

© 2021 Ken Peters