Jim Burns Homeword Daily Devotional for Parenting and Christian Family

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HomeWord - Feb. 25, 2009

Don't Miss God's Greatness 
This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt

Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty -- He is the King of glory! Psalm 24:10 (NLT)

By the time Tiger Woods retires, he will likely be known as the greatest golfer of all time. Even now, he is the most recognized golfer in the world. In fact, Tiger is one of the most recognized athletes of any sport, in the entire world. Still, it was reported in The Bangkok Post on July 18, 2002 that music star Christina Aguilera was introduced to Tiger Woods. It was reported that Woods said, “Oh, Christina, I love your music. I have all your CDs…” Aguilera is said to have replied, “Sorry, I don’t follow tennis, so I don’t know much about you.”

The quote reminds me that even when fame or popularity is recognized, it doesn’t mean people will actually understand the greatness behind the fame. I think a lot of people are like this when it comes to God. Many people acknowledge God, but miss His greatness. People don’t bother to pay attention to His character attributes and, as a result, never come to appreciate God as they might.

God is so beyond our human limitations and understanding that we will never be able to appreciate Him fully in this life, but there is certainly much we can know about God, if we are only willing to take the time to give Him some thought. For example, consider the following, which are only a few characteristics of God:

God always knows what to do. He never needs advice or counsel from anyone. That’s a big difference from the human experience.

God always does the right thing. God, being all-wise and completely pure, never does anything wrong. He makes no mistakes. I certainly can’t say the same thing about myself. How about you?

God accomplishes everything He desires. This is so different from us, isn’t it? We may have unlimited desires, but we can’t always fulfill them!

In contrast to God, people may know what to do, know that it is the right thing to do, but not have the power to do it. Or, people may choose an action – and have the power to do it – but it may be the wrong thing to do. It is amazing to consider that God is never in these positions!

Where do we learn about God’s greatness? It’s no secret. We learn about God through the same ways people throughout the ages have learned about Him: through His creation, through His Word, through His Spirit, and through hanging out with His people. You only have to be willing to look!

On that Great Day, when we all stand before God, I, for one, know that I don’t want to say to Him, “Sorry, I didn’t follow religion (or theology, or the Bible, etc.), so I don’t know much about you.” Rather, I would love to say, “I knew this about you all along, but You’re even greater than I had ever imagined!”

GOING DEEPER:

1. What about God truly amazes you?

2. In what circumstances are you most likely to overlook God’s presence or His greatness? What can you do to be more intentional about recognizing God’s greatness on a day-to-day basis?

FURTHER READING:
Psalm 19; 115:3; 135:5-7; Daniel 4:34-35, Isaiah 55

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