As we prayerfully approach God as King in Heaven, do we really grasp who we are approaching? Have we lost a proper understanding of God's majesty? J.I. Packer offers a simple explanation of the meaning of majesty.
"Our word 'majesty'...means greatness. When we ascribe majesty to someone, we are acknowledging greatness in that person, and voicing our respect...."
If God Creator of this universe; if God is King of kings and Lord of lords, His majesty and greatness towers above everything and everyone. As J.I. Packer goes on to say:
"When the man in the church, let along the man in the street, uses the word 'God', the thought in his mind is rarely of divine majesty.... Today, vast stress is laid on the thought that God is personal, but this truth is so stated as to leave the impression that God is a person of the same sort as we are - weak, inadequate, ineffective, a little pathetic. But this is not the God of the Bible! Our personal life is a finite thing: it is limited in every direction, in space, in time, in knowledge, in power. But God is not so limited. He is eternal, infinite, and almighty. He has us in His hands; but we never have Him in ours. Like us, He is personal; but unlike us, He is great. In all its constant stress on the reality of God's personal concern for His people, and on the gentleness, tenderness, sympathy, patience, and yearning compassion that He shows towards them, the Bible never lets us lose sight of His majesty, and His unlimited dominion over all His creatures."
Packer makes two suggestions as to how we can better grasp the greatness of God.
First, we need to remove our thoughts of God's limits that would make Him small. We need to understand that He is all-knowing (omniscient), all-powerful (omnipotent), and always present (omnipresent) [read Psalm 139 and Job 38-40]. We may not understand or comprehend God's omni-ness, but neither should we try too hard otherwise we risk limiting Him.
Second, we compare Him with power and forces which we regard as great. The Bible is constantly doing this (see yesterday's devotion, see also Isaiah 40). The more we compare God with things that boggle our minds, the more we grasp the greatness of who God is.
First, we need to remove our thoughts of God's limits that would make Him small. We need to understand that He is all-knowing (omniscient), all-powerful (omnipotent), and always present (omnipresent) [read Psalm 139 and Job 38-40]. We may not understand or comprehend God's omni-ness, but neither should we try too hard otherwise we risk limiting Him.
Second, we compare Him with power and forces which we regard as great. The Bible is constantly doing this (see yesterday's devotion, see also Isaiah 40). The more we compare God with things that boggle our minds, the more we grasp the greatness of who God is.
When we truly acknowledge and see God as the majestic King of the universe that has to impact how we approach Him. At least, it should lead us to worship Him.
"The LORD is a great God, and a great King...O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!" - Psalm 95:3,6
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
- Do you tend to focus more on God as Father or God as King?
- How does the majesty of God lead you to approach God? What does that do to your prayers?
- How can you worship God with prayer right now?
This book by J.I. Packer is highly recommended. It is called Knowing God.