The world, as we know it, has changed, and how—probably for forever—in less than 2 months. Nobody could have ever dreamed or imagined that the world would come to a standstill, where almost every major city in the world is under a lockdown/ quarantine. But, I’m not here to draw your attention to the current situation with regards to the spread of COVID-19. Here’s what I want to draw our attention to:
HOW BIG IS MY GOD?!?
My God is so BIG
So STRONG and so MIGHTY
There’s NOTHING my
God cannot do
The mountains are His, the rivers are His,
The stars are His handiwork too
My God is so BIG
So STRONG and so MIGHTY
There’s NOTHING my God cannot do
The words above are from a song I learnt while at Sunday School, at age 3, more than 43 years ago. We sang this song with gusto, it had actions to go along with it and we children, at least I, enjoyed singing it. To my 3 year old mind, God was BIG, STRONG and MIGHTY (I didn’t even know what that word meant)
Then I grew up! Or so I thought..and slowly but surely I became more aware of the “reality” of the world around me–the world that I could see, hear, smell, touch and taste. This became more real to me than GOD, and I slowly stopped seeing Him as BIG, STRONG and MIGHTY.
Yeah, yeah! I knew all the stories in the Bible. I actually believed them–creation, Noah and the ark, the Red sea parting, David and Goliath, Daniel in the lion's den. Yet, I lived more out of the reality of the world I lived in than out of the truth of who God was, is and will be.
These verses of encouragement and stories of deliverance found in the Bible were all fine but the challenges and crises I faced demanded a more “practical” and “pragmatic” approach. Once I chose these approaches over God and faith in Him, I began to succumb to that reality. I lost sight of God and the things of this world began to overwhelm me.
2 Cor 5:7 "For we walk by faith and not by sight. The opposite of faith is not doubt or fear it’s SIGHT! Sight stands for all the physical senses. When we are more tuned in to the physical senses we cannot operate on faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God" Heb11:6
Let’s look at 1 Samuel 17–yes the story of David and Goliath. From verses 4 to 11 we find a detailed description of Goliath. He was a sight and a phenomenon–big, strong and mighty! The Israelites saw him, then they heard him shout his threats to them. That’s what caused them to fear. Verse 24 says, “And all the men of Israel, when they SAW the man (Goliath), fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.”
When David arrived on the scene, he saw and heard the same things as the Israelite army. His perspective though, was different. “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (vs 26) He did not allow the physical reality to cloud his view of the spiritual reality.
Firstly, Goliath was an “uncircumcised” Philistine, meaning he was not in a covenant relationship with the living God. Secondly, Goliath was defying not the Israelite soldiers but the armies of the Living God. May I submit to you that if any one of the soldiers had had this perspective he could have taken Goliath out just as easily? That honour fell on David, the young shepherd boy who’d had no exposure to warfare till then but had a deep personal intimate relationship with God
Sure, David knew he was no match physically to the strength, prowess and protection of Goliath and his weaponry. Spiritually, though, he had all the advantage. God–the God of Angel Armies– was in an intimate covenant relationship with him. This was all that mattered. As big, strong and mighty as Goliath was, he was no match for David’s God.
This physical world will always present a certain, legitimate reality to each of us. We must learn to take our eyes off this temporal reality and instead, focus on the eternal reality.
Firstly, God is my Father–a very good Father. And this Father-Son relationship is based on a covenant.
Secondly, because I’m a child of God, I am also a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. Hence, I have access to everything that Jesus has access to.
Thirdly, I’m seated together with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), this, then is my permanent position.
Fourthly, since Christ is exalted above everything–far above all rule, authority and dominion– nothing can have dominion over me, just as it cannot have dominion over Christ.
As I focus on these eternal truths I begin to realize that it is never about me in the first place but about my GOD. As I focus on my God and develop a greater intimacy with Him, I get a fresh revelation:
My God is so BIG
So STRONG and so MIGHTY
There’s NOTHING my God cannot do
The mountains are His, the rivers are His,
The stars are His handiwork too
My God is so BIG
So STRONG and so MIGHTY
There’s NOTHING my God cannot do
I’d love to know how this article ministered to you. Do send in your feedback.
God bless you!
Marshall
About the Author
Marshall is a lover of Jesus and a student of His word. His passion is to be a father in the body of Christ, to see himself and others grow into Christ-likeness.
Husband to Subhashini, and father to Akil and Ashrita, Marshall teaches at a Bible School in Bangalore where he currently makes his home.