Scripture:
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgements are like the great deep; Man and beast you save, O Lord.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of Your delights.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light.
Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know You and Your righteousness to the upright of heart! Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me or the hand of the wicked drive me away. Ps 36:5-11
Observation:
When do I remind myself of the Greatness of God? His majesty? His Goodness? Any or all of His Attributes? Something to think about.
Application:
I shortchange God. Clarification: God is never shortchanged; He is mighty and glorious in Himself. Doesn’t need me.
I shortchange God in my life—because I don’t really look to see Him as He is. I don’t think, I don’t meditate, I don’t study, I don’t seek, I don’t talk about Him much at all. Oh, I might talk about other things about God: what He has done or what He can do for me. I can present Him in evangelism through the Gospel-but what do I do with my heart? Do I speak to my heart about His Awesomeness? His Majesty? Do I glory in Him?
The Psalmist did here. He preached to God. He declared God to God. The Psalmist reviewed various points of His Attributes right back to Him—resulting in reinforcing the Vision of God in his life; preaching Truth to his own heart; compounding encouragement to his own soul, etc.
AW Tozer reflected that many Christians have a low view of God in their life because they don’t think about the Attributes of God and how truly Awesome He is. A low view of God initiates all sorts of untoward behavior, not the least of which is soft (or weak) faith. A low view of God can lead us into biblical error, a tendency to be like a Pharisee or, on the other swing of the pendulum, a tendency to worldliness-both sides of the pendulum are engaging in sinful behavior.
Here’s a suggestion for personal devotions: Read the Psalms out loud. Every day for a month. Put feeling in what you read (don’t be monotone). Pause, reflect often. Read them out loud like you wrote it. You will see changes if you stay with it.
Prayer:
Oh, God: Please make me fill my eyesight with You, high and full. You are Awesome in all your ways. You are Awesome in all your works. You are merciful and full of wonder!! Facts: I don’t look for Your presence daily. Lam 3 reminds me that Your mercies are new every morning and thinking about, acknowledging these mercies leads me to “Great is your Faithfulness oh Lord.” Phooey on me. I can get so wrapped up in myself that I forget to acknowledge You most mornings. Forgive me Lord. Burn your Majesty in my mind. AMEN.