Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.
Psalm 147:5
Have you ever said, “I serve a big God”? I know that I have. But think about that…BIG. What is big?
Bigger than a bread box? Bigger than an elephant? Bigger than a house? How big is BIG?
As humans we not only have a fascination with size, but we also live in a world that requires definitions of size. If we didn’t, things would get awkward.
We’d walk into a shoe store and hold up our foot… “something to fit this, please.”
Try finding a dress or pair of pants that fit when none of the clothing items on the store racks are marked with a size. Frustrating and almost impossible.
Most everything we do requires that we understand the “size” of what we are dealing with. If you decide to build a house, many of the questions and concerns that must be addressed are size-related.
Will the floorplan I want fit on the lot I’ve selected? Does the cost of the project fit into my budget? Will the house comfortably accommodate the number of people who will live in it? Does the amount of time required to complete the build fit within my timeframe?
Will my furniture be cramped by the small structure, or will it be dwarfed by the large space? What size appliances and fixtures are needed? The size-framed decisions that must be made can seem almost endless.
When we talk about size, we’re talking broadly about the measurement of physical things, space, time, resources, and requirements that have fixed boundaries – inches, hours, amount, volume, mass, height, length, width, weight, and so on. These quantifiable results give us confidence that our plans are on track and will yield a good outcome. Defined measurements give us a sense of control.
It is only natural, fallen creatures that we are, that we attempt to measure everything. We measure all that is within our sphere of existence, knowledge, and awareness. Everything that is within us, all that is on and in our planet, our solar system, and beyond, we want to measure and size.
We believe that if we can measure it,
We can master it.
Sometimes, when we think or talk about God, we fall into that size trap. We say, “He’s big” and we mean it, but at the same time, we allow human-size dimensions to limit our understanding of God.
Anything we say, think, feel, or do that places boundaries or limitations around God, diminishes our understanding of Who God is. It pushes our thinking in a dangerous direction. When we build mental barriers around God, we are tempted to take measure of Him. And in doing so, we develop a stunted understanding of Who God is, and our definition of “big” begins to shrink.
As “big” shrinks, our inflated sense of self grows and we begin to see God as someone we can control, manage, or even usurp. Self (the Old Man) is always looking for ways to become its own god – this is just another way to do that.
So, how do we battle this human penchant for measuring, managing, controlling, and self-rule?
The simple answer is the best answer. Know God. As much as lies within you, understand the enormity of Who God is. Once you begin to think about Who God says that He is – once you get a glimpse of the magnitude of His Personhood, you will quickly realize that “big” is an imperceptible dot in the grand scope of God’s Being.
Here are a few of the things that Scripture tells us about God:
Independent: God needs nothing. He is and has everything, and still, He chose to create us. Moreover, He desires a relationship with us. Acts 17:24-25, Psalm 50:9-12
Immutable: God is unchanging, permanent, established, unshakeable, and unalterable. He is our unchanging rock and firm foundation. Malachi 3:6, Isaiah 46:9-11
Eternal: God is without beginning or end, He is timeless and everlasting. Psalm 90:2, 1 Timothy 6:16, Rev 1:8
Omnipresent: God is present everywhere at all times, there is no place where He is not. I cannot run or hide from His presence. I can take comfort in knowing He will never lose sight of me; His gaze is always upon me. Jeremiah 23:23-24, Psalm 139:7-10
Holy: He is perfect in purity. There is no fault, defect, or flaw in Him. He is worthy of all praise and devotion because He alone is perfect in goodness and righteousness. Hebrews 7:26, Revelation 4:8
Omnipotent: God is all-powerful, almighty, and supreme. He is without limitations. Psalm 29:4, 89:13, 136:12; 2Kings 17:36; 1Chronicles 29:11-12
Omniscient: God has infinite awareness, understanding, and insight. He is the source of all knowledge of all things, actual and possible – past, present, and future. 1 John 3:20, Job 28:24, Psalm 139:1-3
Wisdom: God’s perfect knowledge informs perfection in insight, judgment, and decisions. God makes no mistakes. Daniel 2:20, Romans 11:33
Love: God freely and eternally gives of Himself. The ultimate historical demonstration of God’s love is seen in the cross of Christ. “Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved.” 1 John 4:8-10, John 3:16, Romans 5:8
BIG – even in bold and all CAPS – does not begin to describe our God. Big sits in a tiny spot within God.
When we begin to grasp the incredible, indescribable limitlessness of our God, the more humbled we should be to think that He considers us at all, much less loves us. And He does. God Almighty loves His broken and flawed creation. And because of His amazing love, He sent the perfect sacrifice, the Savior Jesus Christ, to purchase our redemption with His death, burial, and resurrection.
Yes, awesome God loved us to the death of His Son so that we might pass from death to life and become His children. How glorious is that!
He is so much bigger than BIG. When I begin to see God’s greatness, I realize how very small I am.
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8