| "For He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth'; likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength." Job 37:6 He commands the things that we think happen by science. Does He not much more command us and our affairs? Isaiah 45:23 says, "I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath." Paul brought this forward to the New Testament in Philippians 2:9-11, "9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." In his book, Facedown, Matt Redman put it, "He is the King above all King, and He has the throne above all thrones." In 1 Timothy 6:15, Paul calls the Lord, "He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords." He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. We should never deem to do anything of ourselves, but should always look to our Most High King.
There are many other places in scripture that tell us that God is King above all kings. Check out; Psalm 47:7, Psalm 83:18, Psalm 95:3-7, Psalm 97:9. These are just a few of the places that reveal to us that He is Most High over all the earth. But let's take a look at one more place. Let's look to Heaven and see what the angels and heavenly beings refer to Him as. In Revelation 4:8, we see the four living creatures crying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" And in 4:11 the twenty four elders cry, "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." And again in Revelation 5:13 all of creation sings. 'And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" '
As a sovereign King, He has need of nothing. I believe that we of the faith movement are a little too fond of thinking that God can't do anything without us. I like how Job put it. "Can a man be profitable to God, Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?" (Job 22:2) "If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand?" (Job 35:7) Psalm 8:4 poses the question, "What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?" If we are really truthful with ourselves, we are nothing outside of Christ. God does not need us for anything. What makes Him so wonderful is that He desires us. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of health, prosperity, and peace, and not of distress or affliction, to bring you to what I long for." (Danny Groff translation) Christ told the woman at the well that "the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23) The word seeketh in this verse is the Greek word means to search for something that was lost. He created us to worship Him and with the fall of man, He lost that worship. The book of Psalms says that God inhabits the praises of His people. (Psalm 22:3) Now the word inhabits in that verse can also be translated to dwell, remain, to abide or settle. Now you don't settle somewhere that you don't like. But my favorite thing about that word is that it can also be translated to marry. Hopefully if you marry someone, you love that someone. God loves our praise and worship. It is the thing He desires most. The Word says that God desires obedience over sacrifice. But it must be an obedience driven by a love for Him. For then it is merely another form of worship. Someone that you hold in high regard, you would do anything they ask of you. However, if you only obey because you have to, it is merely a sacrifice.
16 "If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words:
17 Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn Him who is most just?
18 Is it fitting to say to a king, 'You are worthless,'
And to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
19 Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For they are all the work of His hands." (Job 34:16-19)
He is a sovereign King, He commands respect and reverence. I am not British, nor have I ever been to England. (although I hope to someday) But I am sure if you ask someone from there how one should act in the presence of the Queen, I am sure that they would say, "With respect and reverence for her majesty." I have heard of how they prepare a table for the Queen and it is amazing. Now the Queen is a great woman, I am sure, however, she is still just a part of mankind, created by God. However, God is altogether otherly. He is in no way like us. We are made in His image, not vice-versa. So how much more is He deserving of even greater respect and reverence when we are in His presence? In Psalm 50:21 God says, "You thought that I was altogether like you; BUT" (emphasis added) He is not like us. Nor will He strive to be like us. He is something completely different. He is wondrous, we are plain. He is mysterious, we are simple. He is all powerful, we are powerless. He is the Creator, we are the created. You get the picture? He deserves all the reverence and wonder and awe that is within us. "Dominion and awe belong to God"(Job 25:2), it is reserved for Him alone.
Part 4 - God is Mighty |
