Today, we again sang the same song. Afterwards, our worship leader shared a few thoughts she had had during the past week--thoughts about magnifying the Lord, which were similar to the ones I had had. To paraphrase her, "When we praise and exalt God, it is like holding up a magnifying glass to Him, bringing Him closer, and enabling us to see Him better."
As I contemplated our worship leader's thoughts, then mingled them with mine, this is what I got.
When trials and troubles, cares and concerns start closing in, we have two choices in dealing with the situations. On one hand, we can listen to the advice of the world that comes from friends, media, or our own limited understanding. By doing this, we are picking up the telescope of the world to search for answers, maybe even hoping to find God. But, no matter how we use the scope, it is backwards. All the solutions and answers seem small and so, so far away. That includes God. When He is seen through the world-scope, He looks like a mere, almost invisible speck on a distant horizon. Thankfully, if we search hard enough, we will be able to distinguish Him from everything and everyone else. He is the one on the cross.
Once we realize that God is really out there, our second choice comes into play. Just put down the world-scope and seek something that gives us a better, clearer, more accurate view. The mere act of acknowledging God's presence, no matter how small He seems, is a huge step that will provide Holy Spirit with raw materials that speak to our souls. He will also give us a heaven-scope to replace the one we put down. The new one magnifies two different ways.
Here is how it works. Once our souls begin to magnify (praise) God for who he is: Creator, Redeemer, and the One Who Walks Beside, to name just a few, the Holy Spirit begins to magnify (enlarge) the Lord in our understanding and vision. We begin seeing him not as a far away, almost invisible someone who can't possibly help us in any way: but instead, as a close, powerful, loving, father who wants only the best for us. The Lord becomes so much bigger than our problems that we realize our problems are actually quite small and manageable with God's help.
The more we see of God, the more we praise, the more we see...
There are no human words to express the greatness of God, the vastness, the hugeness (if there is such a word). I take that back. There are words, words like Omnipotent, Omnipresent,and Omniscient. All Powerful, Always and Everywhere Present, and All Knowing might describe God, but our little, finite minds do not have the ability to comprehend his greatness. God has become too big to wrap our minds around. That is what makes Him God.
That is also why he sent his Son, in human form, to earth. God needed a way to express and show us his love--his love, both dying and undying--a love we can understand in a small way.
My soul, my soul magnifies the Lord. In return, may He be magnified (enlarged) beyond my wildness comprehension.
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My writing may be somewhat limited this week as I prepare for my part of our traditional, family progressive Christmas celebration the Saturday-Sunday before Christmas. Eighteen of us will celebrate with all we have,.
In the meantime, may the Lord be both praised and enlarged in your life this Christmas season,
Jan and Licorice Kitty (Today, for the first time in three months, I let Licorice Kitty outside for a few minutes . She smelled everything around the porches and back of the garage, then came running when I called her. Good Kitty)
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