Daily Verse: Psalm 115:3

Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

This is a humbling verse for it highlights that God is so much bigger than any of us. In our world today, I think we lose sight of that as we tend to “compartmentalize” God, placing Him in a corner of our lives like something ordinary, like a hobby that we enjoy tinkering with on occasion. We become so consumed in our personal triumphs and successful independence that we fail to acknowledge God’s hand in our lives. We fail to see that the blessings that seem to just “appear” are actually placed there intentionally by God. While He gives us many things that we view as “great”, He may also introduce things in our lives that we may see as not so great. Perhaps they are things that we see as uncomfortable or unnerving but God views as necessary and beneficial to shaping us into the individuals that HE wants us to be. Maybe it’s a layoff from a job that was consuming our every waking minute…maybe it’s an illness that causes us to view the blessings in life from a different perspective…or maybe it’s something that causes us to develop genuine reverence, respect, and honor for Him. Whatever He chooses to do, He will do…regardless of what ideas we may have. A bit frightening? Perhaps…but when we read Psalm 115:11,13, we see that God values those who fear Him…“You who fear him, trust in the LORD-- he is their help and shield… he will bless those who fear the LORD-- small and great alike.” Maybe there is something to fearing the Lord and not viewing Him as just another ordinary part of life. But not fear in the way that we would fear someone intent on harming or destroying us. For through Christ we are viewed as too valuable to the Lord for Him to simply put us out with the trash. Just look at the incredible trouble He went to in sacrificing His own Son in such an agonizing and shameful manner! I have to believe that those who were sacrificed FOR are of incredible value to the Lord. God assumed the form of man, lived a completely perfect life, and died for completely imperfect people! The only absolutely perfect person to ever walk this earth given in sacrifice for us! That seems like concrete evidence that we are precious, valuable, and dearly loved in the eyes of the Lord! Make no mistake, God is THE Big Bossman and he does exactly what pleases Him. Thankfully through faith in Christ, God works ultimately for greatness in our lives! To God be the glory!