“Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.” – Psalm 145:3
In the world of sports, the “G.O.A.T” is an expression used to describe the superior ability of an athlete to designate them as the ‘greatest of all time.’
Knowing my affinity for watching sports, I had a friend ask me recently, “Do you marvel more at the greatness of man or the greatness of God?”
Ouch.
It’s a fair question and one that we all must pay attention to, especially in a world that is so easily obsessed with the greatness of man.
There is nothing inherently wrong with appreciating and enjoying the greatness of man. However, we must keep things in perspective. The most stunning talents and accomplishments of mankind pale in comparison to the glory and greatness of God. How tragic it would be if we spend our entire lives more enthralled by the impressiveness of man than the majesty of our Creator.
The psalmist is inviting us to reflect deeply on the greatness of God. A form of the word, “great,” is used 3 times in one verse. Greatness is not merely pointing to the immensity of the universe and the beauty of His creation. The remainder of the Psalm teaches that we see the greatness of God in His character – who He is and what He’s done (Ps. 145:4,5 & 8,9). One thing is clear; contemplating His greatness should lead to praise.
To say that His greatness is “unsearchable” does not mean that we can’t search, but that we’ll never reach the limit of our searching. His greatness invites endless exploration.
The Pacific Ocean, for example, contains 187 quintillion gallons of water (that’s 187 followed by 20 zeros). Thinking that we have God all figured out is like trying to claim that a 16.9 oz. bottle of water contains all of the water in the mighty Pacific; as if our finite minds could ever fully comprehend the Infinite One. Theologians shrewdly refer to this as “the incomprehensibility of God” for even the most theologically astute understand a mere fraction of His greatness.
The good news is that, though His greatness is unsearchable, He is not unknowable. Almighty God has chosen to reveal Himself through Jesus and His word. Colossians 2:9 states, “In Christ, the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form.” If we want to begin to understand the greatness of God, we must look no further than Jesus. Louie Giglio, a popular writer and pastor, explains that it’s through Jesus we understand that God is both “infinitely awesome” and “intimately approachable”.
So, how do we properly respond to His greatness? Let me give you three suggestions:
- Choose today to walk in an attitude of humility, reverence, and worship.
- Resolve to never grow complacent in seeking to know Him more intimately
- Take God out of the box you might have placed Him in. He’s far greater than you imagine.
Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director of RFTH
