Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Rick Warren
Your Problems Shrink
No wonder the Israelites were commanded to remind their children of all the marvelous things that God had done in bringing them out of Egypt and in bringing them into the Promised Land. The Lord Himself told Israel to “take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children” (Deut. 4:9). God wanted Israel to remember that He is always bigger than any problems and to remember this the next time they face an overwhelming foe. We would do well to know that the closer we get to God, the smaller our problems should become.
His Greatness Is Magnified
If God says that He can hold the expanse of the universe in the palm of His hand, doesn’t that magnify His greatness? Isaiah asks, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance” (Isaiah 40:12). Job writes of the universe, “Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it” (Job 38:5)? The answer is clear: Only God is able. Read the Scriptures, especially the Book of Isaiah. You’ll discover how great God is, and He will be magnified in your eyes.
His Holiness Is Intensified
The interesting thing that I have found in my Bible study is that the better I come to know God through His Word, the better I see myself in comparison to Him. The more I learn about God, the more I see just how holy He is. With every new thing I learn about the Bible and God, the more I see just how far short I fall (Rom. 3:23). Getting closer to God reveals more of His beauty and perfection, but it also reveals all my sinfulness and insignificance.
Conclusion
How great a God we worship, Who alone can say, “My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together” (Isaiah 48:13). I cannot get my finite mind around the infinite God, so it certainly is true that the closer we get to God, the smaller everything else appears.
