Encounter Him

We encounter the love of God everyday in our lives. One way that he expresses His love for us is in His creation.

‘Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing’ ~Isaiah 40:26.

It’s amazing to know that ‘by the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth’ (Psalm 33:6). What a wonderful thought! ‘He spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm’ (Psalm 33:9).

We cannot ‘fathom the mysteries of God. (We cannot) probe the limits of the Almighty’ ~Job 11:7.

The majesty and wonder of God cannot be fully comprehended by man. God himself cannot be ‘boxed into’ a mere English word or a collection of words that describes his majesty, his ‘awesomeness’ completely and in its entirety, justly.

 ‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse’ ~Romans 1:20.

The essence of God's divine nature is love and righteousness (Psalm 33:5). He is the source of a divine love called ‘agape’ love; love of unmerited favor, that which is offered to all of mankind through God's grace (Ephesians 2:4-6). He is the source of righteousness in the world; his nature is the source of all goodness, love, truth, and wisdom (Colossians 2:2-3).

How true it is – ‘How great is our God – beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out’ ~Job 36:26.

There is so much about God that we don’t understand – it’s overwhelming just how wonderful He is.

'Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By faith we understand that the universe was formed by the word of God (by God's command), so that what is seen was not made out of what is visible' ~Hebrews 11: 1 & 3

One thing we do know, one thing we do see, one thing we do experience is his LOVE.

‘The earth is full of his unfailing love’ ~Psalm 33:5b.

God wants us to ‘experience’ how wonderful he is – how majestic, mighty, powerful, faithful and loving he is. However, in our imperfect human state, we can’t fully do that. Thus, for now: ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Psalm 34:8a). It is just a ‘taste’; it is a glimpse of what is to come ‘for those who love him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9)

'The wonders' (Psalm 9:1b) of his creation – 'the work of his fingers' (Psalm 19:1b) that surrounds us: the natural beauty of the heavens and the earth is an expression of his love to us. The beauty and exquisite detail of a nighttime sky illuminated with millions of stars. The grandeur of a mountain range or canyon, the refreshing and beautiful sight of a waterfall. The soft colours of fading daylight and the vibrant of a new day dawning.

'The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy' ~Psalm 65:8

There is something magical about a sunrise. The abyss of darkness fades away as the light begins to pierce through. The magical blue becomes a warm, rosy glow with its radiance ever increasing, as the bright colour of scarlet heralds the arrival of a new day. There is a moment, a pause, before it harks its song and takes flight; spilling golden light upon the plains, across the hills, penetrating the deepest of forests, and scaling the tallest of peaks.

‘Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life’ ~ Psalm 143:8

‘Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days’ ~Psalm 90:14

'It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night...' ~Psalm 92.1-2.

God’s ultimate expression of His love was giving us His Son, Jesus:

‘This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins’ ~1 John 4:9-10.

It is truly a beautiful, wonderful, comforting and empowering concept to grasp:

…‘Neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ ~Romans 8:39.

  

‘The Lord your God is with you; he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing’ ~Zephaniah 3:17.

As the time of year where we celebrate the birth of Jesus nears, may you reflect on what the love of God truly is and know that:

'For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast' ~Ephesians 2:8-9

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes.

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.
~Matt Redman