Majesty
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11
Majesty – Did you think David was done? Not a chance! David looks deeper into the Hebrew vocabulary and finds this word – hod. Once again, its umbrella covers a lot of ground. It can mean “majesty” but it is also used for “authority” (Numbers 27:20) and physical vitality (Proverbs 5:9). You can see how these thoughts are all related.
What do we think of when we use the word “majestic”? Do you imagine a king on a throne in a splendid palace? Maybe you saw a mental picture of Mount Everest or Fujiama? Maybe your mind took you to a scene of the majesty of the ocean or a towering cliff. All of these images push us in the right direction. We are not talking about a God of sterile theological constructions. This God is the God of incredible creation. The vast galaxies of space. The stars. The earth and all it contains. Hod is a favorite word of David (see Psalm 8:1 and Psalm 96:6). David looks up to the heavens and he sees the majesty of God, the vigor of creation and life and the authority of the One Who rules it all.
Many years ago I spent some time in the South Pacific on a tiny island near Fiji. The nights were perfectly dark. There wasn’t an electrical fixture for hundreds of miles. I lay of the beach in the dark, looking up at the heavens. After some time my eyes began to see just how incredibly vast the universe is. Billions and billions of stars, on and on forever into the dark. David saw all this too. It has a profound effect on you. You suddenly realize just how small you are and how petty your life really is. And then it hits you. God cares about you! The God Who put all of this in place, Whose power and glory reach beyond all that you can see, actually cares about you. What could ever possibly disturb the tranquility of your life if you just kept that scene fresh in your mind?
The terror of the city (a very human invention) is that it removes us from the experience of God’s majesty. We substitute wattage for celestial wonder. We love neon instead of darkness. We say, “Let there be lights” without bowing to the One Who said, “Light”.
Do you want the majesty of God in your life? Seek a dark place on a moonless night. Look up. It’s hard to miss.
Supplemental:
On October 10, a few days ago, we looked at the word kopiao (weary). Today, I am really feeling like a W2 person (weary and worried). I know that Jesus says to come to Him when we experience kopiao. I know that I need rest. But I wonder if you are having a day like mine and I wonder if you need to be reminded, like I do, that Jesus has been given all the authority and power on earth and in heaven for just such moments as the ones that I am feeling now.
Today is “grass” day. The lawn needs to be cut. I let it go last week because I had too much to do, so this week those blades are calling, “Come and trim us, right now.” Today is garbage day. I missed the collection on Monday because I was so busy, so today I have to get the garbage out. Today is hurricane repair day. I have been trying to fix all the damage a little at a time, but now it just can’t wait anymore. These kinds of activities just scratch the surface. My book arrives tomorrow. I have to follow up on shipping details. I have orders to take care of if you’re going to get the copies you want. Today is Exodus, my usual Thursday night Bible study. Have to prepare. Today is the day after a GOLF meeting. People to contact. Calls to make. Today I need to update the web site. Today I should renew my virus protection before it runs out. My wife’s car wreck adds medical forms, attorney calls, insurance issues and things to do to help her. These are the important trivial, the necessary but annoying items of life. You have your list, I’m sure. The things that interrupt.
I started praying at 5:30 this morning. God has been asking me to pray more. For each of you. For Rosanne who started work and then had a car accident. For my Bible study groups. For my family. For friends, neighbors, causes. Pretty soon the list gets so long I have to keep it on the computer. And while I am praying, God keeps bringing more and more to mind. Now I pray with paper and pencil in hand. These are the really important things, but somehow there doesn’t seem to be enough time to cover it all.
The day just seems to pile up. Each new task leads to another that doesn’t get done. I get up from my knees with six new articles to write. When will I have time to do that?
By 4 PM, as I sit at the computer trying to put into words what He has put on my heart, I discover that I am overwhelmed. I just can’t do it all. In fact, I can’t get started because as soon as I do, a dozen other things crowd into the space. I put everything aside, go sit in a chair, read Oswald Chambers, and lay on the floor. “Father, I just can’t do it. I am not equipped for this. I need You. Master, I am calling you. I want to do Your will, but I am pressed beyond my abilities. Help me.”
Twenty minutes of prayer. I am back here. Writing this. Kopiao. It’s more than a word. It has to become the surrender of my breath, my thoughts, my movements. Then I hear Paul, “For it’s not I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. I never saw Jesus pulled down by W2 thinking. “Lord, give me your hand. Let me only follow.”
