HAVE YOU DIMINISHED GOD?
21st Aug 2019
I believe we can view God as our Father, Jesus as our Saviour and Redeemer, the Holy Spirit as our Friend and Counsellor, but lose sight of the overall Majesty and Glory of the Godhead. It’s possible that in leading people to experience intimacy, God is treated as my ‘chum’ and not accorded the honour due to His Name.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the Mighty One, God the Most High. The One whose Presence can consume like fire, in whose Light no sin or darkness can exist. Without the covering of the blood of Jesus, we could not stand in His Presence. Moses, a friend of God, asked to see His Glory, and God hid him in the cleft of a rock and covered him as he could only handle a mere glimpse of that Glory.
He is the One who sees, whose knowledge is limitless, who is patient, has compassion and exercises mercy and forgiveness. He is Love and sent Jesus as Saviour, knowing that we could not save ourselves. Before His Majesty mountains tremble. He is Awesome in power, Holy and yet knowable.
1 Chronicles 16:28-30 says, “Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name….worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness. Tremble before him all the earth!”
Psalm 50 mentions 7 names of God in 23 verses - The Mighty One, God, the Lord, God of Justice and Righteousness, the Most High and Eloah. Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Hallowed by Your Name’ and, how we answer the question originally addressed to Peter, “Who do you say I am?” will colour our view of the Most High and reveal afresh His power at work in us who believe.
Last night I woke with a real burden and sadness in my heart over the Nation and the Church. I found myself praying that we would be delivered from a distorted picture of who God is, and have new understanding of His Magnificence; and that we would “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.”
As I went upstairs back to bed, I had no idea of the phase of the moon, but felt compelled to look at the sky through our landing window. The sky was dark with the moonlight just visible; but as I watched the clouds were swept away and a bright full moon shone out. I felt this was my answer - we all need a new vision of our God, a new wonder, a new respect, and new devotion. Oh God, let it be so for us and the Church!
As Job declared, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5)
by Joyce Sibthorpe
