MAGNIFY THE LORD

"O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together." (Psalms 34:3).

 

I remember being very curious as a boy - I guess most boys are.  There was no end to my exploring, examining, and dismantling anything and everything.  One of my best memories, though, was when my parents bought me a microscope one Christmas.  There was very little that escaped being placed on a slide and smashed under a cover slip so that I could peer at it.  It opened a brand-new world to me.  Things that were commonplace and familiar became exotic and alien when zoomed in at high magnification.  The intelligent design, and intricate construction, of even a blade of grass, or a human skin cell, turned the mundane into the divine.

 

Years later, when I was introduced to the verse above, it made perfect sense to me.  As we go through our life, there are many things that confront us that seem very large to us.  Even the simplest of difficulties can throw us for a loop and appear unconquerable.  It's then that we feel very small and alone in the world.   

 

Israel was afraid when Goliath challenged them and demanded that one man come out and fight with him.  They had no problem fighting the Philistines army-against-army, but they shrunk in fear at the thought of sending one man to fight this giant alone.  Satan uses the same tactics against the children of God.  He makes the battle a personal struggle that we must face alone, and he appears to us as bigger than life, like a mighty warrior who cannot be defeated with our puny strength.

 

This is when we must magnify the Lord.  According to Strong's translation from the Hebrew, "magnify" means "to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things."  This is precisely what we must learn to do when the enemy looms large before us.  We must remind ourselves how great and mighty our God is!  We must stir up our faith in the Almighty and remember that He is in control of all things. 

 

When David came down to visit his brothers at the site of the battle, he heard the taunting of Goliath and was aghast that no one was defending the name of the Lord.  He realized that it was not just Israel that was being challenged, but that the enemy was also challenging Israel's faith in their God.  David would not have that!  He went out armed only with his sling and some stones, he brought the giant to the ground, and he slew him before all the people.  David magnified the Lord that day; and by doing so, he made the giant Goliath seem like nothing. 

 

When we magnify the Lord in our lives, then it brings everything else into perspective.  It's not that God is ever small; it's that Satan likes to get our eyes off God so that our problems and temptations will overwhelm us and appear larger than God.  We cannot allow this to happen.  This is why we should begin every prayer with adoration and praise.  We can say, with the Psalmist, "I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.  I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.  They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." (Psalm 34:1-8).

 

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving." (Psalm 69:30). 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A SWORD AND A TROWEL

Nehemiah is an incredible figure in the Bible, and his story amazes me because of its relevance for today.  It speaks to me on many levels, but mostly about how important it is for me to know God’s will, get under the burdens that are close to His heart, and do the work that He has called me to do.   Nehemiah was among those Jews who were living in Babylon as a result of King Nebuchadnezzar destroying the city of Jerusalem in 593 B.C.  He was born in Persia to parents who were part of the Jewish exile.  At some point, he was enlisted into service in the palace of the King, and, so, became the King’s cupbearer - a position of importance.  While in this service, word came to him from some who had returned from Jerusalem, that the people were in great affliction, and the walls of the city were broken down, and the gates burned with fire.  The news so affected Nehemiah that he sat down and wept, and mourned, and didn’t eat for days; but, more importantly, h...
Read more

DESPISED AND REJECTED OF MEN

"He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." (Isaiah 53:2a, 3).   We usually like to dwell on the beauty of the Lord when we talk or meditate about Christ, but I would like to shed some light on the uncomely aspect of the Lord.  During His earthly ministry, Jesus angered and offended a great number of people - people who said they were looking for His appearance.  They were waiting for a mighty king who would lead them to victory against their enemies, and restore Israel to the glory that it once enjoyed.  This carpenter's son from Galilee was definitely not what they expected, and His message was to love their enemies, not vanquish them; to turn the other cheek, not get the upper hand; and give their cloak if their coat was taken....
Read more

BE STILL AND KNOW

It is impossible to determine for certain the occasion for which the 46 th Psalm was written.  Some commentators believe that it was written after God delivered King Jehoshaphat from a great army of Moabites and Ammonites.  Others believe that it was written during King Hezekiah’s reign when the Assyrians under King Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem.  This we do know: this Psalm was written to encourage Israel to trust in the LORD Jehovah during difficult and frightening times, and Israel certainly had an abundance of those!    It is said that Psalms 46 gave Martin Luther much comfort and encouragement during the times that he faced fierce opposition to his preaching and ministry.  It is said that it was one of the portions of scripture that inspired the words to his hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God .      The psalm opens with these words of comfort and encouragement: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (...
Read more