It's neat how a small line from a favorite childhood
VeggieTales song can be so profound to me years later.
Over the last week, I have been becoming exponentially more aware of the vastness and greatness of God. The more that I realize how big He is, the less everything else matters. The less I matter, the less my issues matter, the less my questions matter; it all melts in the presence of God.
A.W. Tozer talked about the "terrible day when men and women are trying their best to cut God down to their size." And sometimes, and by sometimes I mean most of the time, we don't even realize we are doing it.
We cannot put God into a jar. I don't just mean metaphorically as in that's something we should stray away from. We physically cannot do it. It's impossible. He is too big, too great, too Holy. The moment we start reducing Him to our level is the very same moment we begin to lose Him.
I've been in repentance for letting my curiosity outweigh my trust in Him. Not everything has to make sense. If it did then what would be the point of faith, one of the biggest teachings of Jesus? And if there were no faith, then how would we please God?
According to Hebrews 11:6,
"...without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
And that faith has to hold on in persistence. A lot of the times we have faith for something and when it doesn't happen in that very moment we lose every ounce of it that we had before and blame it on God or believe the lie we aren't good enough. The thing with faith though, is this: faith is more than just a moment. It's a continual trust in the Father regardless of how it looks, how it feels, or how long it takes. That's why it's called faith!
One of my favorite sayings is: "When I believe it, i'll see it. Not the other way around."
THAT is faith.
That was a mild side note, but back to the point: have you ever laid back in the grass or on the sandy beach and looked into the sky? And in that moment you realize how truly tiny we are in the hugeness of the universe? Kind of makes you forget about the current situations in our lives that seem so big and impossible, doesn't it? At least it does for me.
When I look into the distance at the huge mountains, encompassed by clouds painted in sunlight beams, and at the colors of the sunsets that burst out from behind the mountain range (right outside my window!!!!!),I remember... He is God. He is God... There is so much power and peace in that phrase alone.
He is God and I don't have to be. And then I fall into tears because I just know... He loves me and He has it all. And I do not have to be afraid. When Jesus said that He meant it. I think too, how Jesus was so kind and is this picture of peace and forgiveness, but at the same time Jesus was not naive. He was not weak. There is power in the name of Jesus. He is the epitome humility, servanthood, love and forgiveness, and in that "God elevated Him to the place of the highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, then at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9-11)." I mean COME ON!
Another thing our friend Tozer said that carries such truth is that "Unlike man, God never act without purpose."
I am done trying to understand it all. All we need to do is fix our eyes on Him. We will never be able to fully grasp or understand Him in His glory and greatness. Heaven opens up and so does our souls, when we sing praises to Him about who He is. You want to know why? Because it was what we were made for. We were made to walk with Him. Adam walked with God in the garden. We were made to worship Him. When we sing of who God is and we declare to the Earth and the Heavens the name of Jesus, everything shakes. Everything bows, including sickness and disease.
I encourage us to take time to bring ourselves back to the place of being aware of Him and His power and love... How amazing is it to have the creator of the universe--this great and vast, holy and loving being wanting a relationship with the ones He created...? Wanting to walk alongside them so much that He humbled Himself and became one of them, was then hated by his own creation and submitted to the cross in death so that they could have the opportunity to live with Him forever... on Earth and in His home which became ours too. It's literally insane for me to think about. You know how you can know something forever and then all of the sudden it just clicks and hits you so hard and you're like "ohhhhh my goooodddnnneessssss I get it nowwwwwww holy cow." Yah.. that's what happens to me with stuff like this.
Also, I'm pretty sure some of the people here think i'm crazy because there have been multiple times I won't realize I have stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and just stared with squinty eyes up at the sky... for minutes at a time.. But I just cannot help it when I am so amazed by it all. Sometimes I just have to stop and remember... even if it makes me look like I'm losin' it a little in the head... lol.
But with that, I pray that the Lord begins to reveal himself to each of you as we humble ourselves in His presence and daily walk with Him. It's so worth it...
-Ari
Comments