"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1).
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
For the sake of your steadfast love and faithfulness," (Ps 115:1–2)
In the year 1610, Galileo Galilei was looking through his telescope and noticed that Venus has full phases of orbit similar to the moon. This observation led him to discover the common understanding today that the earth revolves around the Sun. Galileo had the realization that the planet he lived on, with him included, was not the proposed center of the universe.
Sometimes I think we can spiritually be in a place similar to 1609. Maybe I am alone in this, but I love being in control. I love having power and being complimented on the individual skills I hold. Does it not feel good to win a competition?
The throne of power is immensely tempting to sit on. However, I know for sure two things happen when I sit on it. First, I view myself more highly than others, and when one-uped by a peer, claw out of jealousy for my power. Second, when I sit on the throne, I quickly realize it meant for a power much stronger than I can possess, similar to people being burned up after holding the power stone in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Even when I am not on the throne, I like not to kneel at but to stand next to it. At times it can feel as though our worship can still point to us, even when we talk about Jesus.
Our praise, every now and again, can be oriented around what he has done for us, what he can do through us, how he can heal us, etc.
This is not to say that these things are wrong, the Lord is good and wants to do good things for us (Matt 7:9–11). This is to say that his goodness surpasses our existence (Job 38:4–11).
The angels cry out: "Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come" (Rev 3:8), and mankind sings: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created (Rev 3:11).
The Lord is good, his ways are pure and just. This is and should be the root of our worship. He was excellent and faithful before the start of creation.
His nature is selfless. We find that Jesus who was in every way God stepped down in obedience to the Father's will and served him unto death (Phil 2:6–8). In reaction to this obedience, the Father exalted Jesus highly and bestowed upon him the name of the I AM (Phil 2:9–11). Jesus is one with the Father and serves his will, and the Father does everything the Son asks of him.
He is, for lack of a better term, an eternally good God.
Think about your five senses, and how you enjoy them. Think about the wonderful terrane you saw on your last camping trip. About the laugh of an infant when playing with their father. Or what about that last song you heard that took you somewhere else?
There is an old Jewish poem called the Dayenu, meaning "it would have been enough," that is read as part of the Passover celebration. It contains fifteen equally divided stanzas about God's grace in the Exodus, the miracles he performed, and how he is near Israel. Each of these stanzas ends by saying "dayenu." This prayer recognizes the fact that God did not have to do the mighty acts he did but did so out of his steadfastness and faithfulness. He is Good.
Before I was, he was, and after I am done, he will remain.
The Lord is wonderous and awesome, and in his character, he invites us to be known by him. It is the ultimate gift. However, let us remember to orient our lives around him who served us.
- Eric J. Blessing
Sometimes I think we can spiritually be in a place similar to 1609. Maybe I am alone in this, but I love being in control. I love having power and being complimented on the individual skills I hold. Does it not feel good to win a competition?
The throne of power is immensely tempting to sit on. However, I know for sure two things happen when I sit on it. First, I view myself more highly than others, and when one-uped by a peer, claw out of jealousy for my power. Second, when I sit on the throne, I quickly realize it meant for a power much stronger than I can possess, similar to people being burned up after holding the power stone in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Even when I am not on the throne, I like not to kneel at but to stand next to it. At times it can feel as though our worship can still point to us, even when we talk about Jesus.
Our praise, every now and again, can be oriented around what he has done for us, what he can do through us, how he can heal us, etc.
This is not to say that these things are wrong, the Lord is good and wants to do good things for us (Matt 7:9–11). This is to say that his goodness surpasses our existence (Job 38:4–11).
Our Fleeting Lives
In Luke's Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a man who has a surplus of grain and builds another storehouse for himself to relax and have no reliance on anything. However, this was all in vain as God called him a fool right before he passed away (Luke 12:16–21). No matter how much he built up for himself, he could not take any of it with him.
This reminds me of a song lyrics from the Fleet Foxes' album Crack-Up: "All will fad, all I say, all I needed in the flash of the eye, I wouldn't deny, all receded."
On this earth, I will pass away. Generations later, my own heritage may not even know my name.
I think you may get the picture.
His Eternal Glory
Then there is the Holy Trinity. The Lord who sits on the throne and is worthy.The angels cry out: "Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come" (Rev 3:8), and mankind sings: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created (Rev 3:11).
The Lord is good, his ways are pure and just. This is and should be the root of our worship. He was excellent and faithful before the start of creation.
His nature is selfless. We find that Jesus who was in every way God stepped down in obedience to the Father's will and served him unto death (Phil 2:6–8). In reaction to this obedience, the Father exalted Jesus highly and bestowed upon him the name of the I AM (Phil 2:9–11). Jesus is one with the Father and serves his will, and the Father does everything the Son asks of him.
He is, for lack of a better term, an eternally good God.
Praise Be Unto Him
That being said, every good thing we have is an outflow of his goodness.Think about your five senses, and how you enjoy them. Think about the wonderful terrane you saw on your last camping trip. About the laugh of an infant when playing with their father. Or what about that last song you heard that took you somewhere else?
There is an old Jewish poem called the Dayenu, meaning "it would have been enough," that is read as part of the Passover celebration. It contains fifteen equally divided stanzas about God's grace in the Exodus, the miracles he performed, and how he is near Israel. Each of these stanzas ends by saying "dayenu." This prayer recognizes the fact that God did not have to do the mighty acts he did but did so out of his steadfastness and faithfulness. He is Good.
Before I was, he was, and after I am done, he will remain.
The Lord is wonderous and awesome, and in his character, he invites us to be known by him. It is the ultimate gift. However, let us remember to orient our lives around him who served us.
- Eric J. Blessing
This reminds me of the old saying "seek His heart not His hand." Relationship!
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