We sometimes sing ‘Our God is a Great Big God,’ but I wonder if we truly grasp how great and big God is? The Bible says that God is the creator and sustainer of the world, the source of life, the origin of goodness and the fount of love. He is utterly holy, perfectly righteous, faithful to his promises and abounding in grace. He is almighty, all-knowing, always-present and utterly sovereign over his world.
Wow! Read that list slowly again and let those truths sink in. Then ask yourself this question: Do I stand in awe of him? When I meditate on the truth that when I am in Christ I am brought into a relationship with God the Father, am I ‘lost in wonder, love and praise,’ as the hymn puts it? Or has God lost his awe to me?
If we are to follow God as disciples of Jesus, turning from sin and walking in his light, then we need to be in awe of God and grasp his beauty and power, his holiness and might. Only then will we have the faith to live for Jesus, taking up our cross, whatever the cost.
So our Lent reflections start here, with the bigness of God:
Below are 4 passages to read this week, together with a question or 2 to meditate on as you read. Our God is a great big God; let’s remember just how big he is.
Job 39:1-42:6. In this passage, God reminds Job of his power and might over all creation. Have you lost sight of this? Reflect on Job’s response to God’s words.
Isaiah 6: 1-8. God’s holiness refers to his moral purity and his ‘otherness’. How do you see those ideas here? Given this, how can Isaiah (or us) stand in his presence?
Romans 11:33-36. Paul bursts into song at God’s wisdom and knowledge. Can you work out why? How does God’s kindness and grace move you?
Revelation 7:9-17. The Apostle John is given a glimpse into the throne room of Heaven, where angelic beings, who see God as he is, praise him continuously. What can you see here that will help you lift your voice in praise?