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How
Great Thou Art
Bubba Garner
We
use the word “great” almost as often as we do the word “love.” “That
was a great game.” “Have a great day.” “What a great sermon.”
Well, maybe not that last one. But we do use the word a lot.
Yet no One is more worthy of such a description than our great God. Just
because we have diluted the term to cover anything from all-time athletes
to Frosted Flakes, that does not change the magnitude of His might, the
greatness of His goodness. The Psalmist surely thought so. “For great is
the Lord and greatly to be praised” (Psa. 96:4), and “His greatness is
unsearchable” (Psa. 145:3). God is not only great. He is the greatest.
I love to hear my children
sing in the worship service. Morgan is able to read now, so she can follow
along with just about any song. But David is at the mercy of the song
leader; he can only sing the ones he’s heard before. So if it’s
Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah! or I Know That My Redeemer Lives, he seizes
the opportunity and lets it all out. Sometimes, I just stop and listen to
these beautiful sounds coming straight from their beautiful hearts. It’s
great.
Singing gives every child
of the Father a voice, one He delights in hearing. It allows us to express
our emotions, to pour out our souls, to join the words of our mouths with
the melodies of our hearts. It helps us learn new truths and better
appreciate old ones. It’s something we can do anywhere at any time.
Whether we’re happy or sad, peaceful or anxious, in the pew or in the
car, one thing will never change. “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to
Thee, how great Thou art!”
Just how great is God? Let
Psalm 19 speak for Him.
His creation announces Him.
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is
declaring the work of His hands” (Psa. 19:1). A homebuilder may carve
his name in the brick. A composer or film maker may be known by some
trademark. But the Lord has left His fingerprints on every page of
creation, and His world clearly testifies to the might and authority of
their Maker. Someone might wonder while looking at a sunset, “How can
anyone see that and not believe in God?” That’s what it was designed
to do. While people in the world deny His existence, the world itself will
not let them.
This is still our Father’s
world. No matter how far men flee from Him, He remains in control and over
all. He who “placed a tent for the sun” and orchestrates its rising
from one end of the heavens to the other (Psa. 19:4-6) is still concerned
about what’s going on in my corner of the world. Look around. Listen.
This part of the song doesn’t require words. That’s how great God is.
His word reveals Him. The
word of God is an expression not only of His will but of His character (Psa.
19:7-9). It is “perfect” because it comes from a blameless Lawgiver.
It is “sure” because He who spoke it is unchangeable. Its effect is
“rejoicing the heart” because of His desire for all men to experience
the joy of His salvation. Its “commandment” is a demonstration of His
authority to rule and legislate. It is “enduring forever,” fixed and
firm as His eternal throne. Its “judgments” are “true” and “righteous
altogether” for they flow from His ancient and infinite wisdom. The Lord
wants us to know the truth. But He also wants us to know Him who stands
behind it.
A God who is clearly seen
through the eyes of His world is intimately identified in the pages of His
word. He is not far away; He is not difficult to find. He has not left us
to discover hidden meanings or uncover secret clues. He has expressed His
will plainly so that His creation can have a relationship with their
Creator. That ought to cause us to value His word as “more desirable
than gold” and sweeter than “the drippings of the honeycomb” (Psa.
19:10). It is the source of true treasure and satisfaction. What else
could come from such a great God?
His people are perfected by
Him. David, the sweet singer of Israel, was not immune to sin. He
concluded his psalm with a prayer for deliverance from “hidden faults,”
“presumptuous sins,” and “great transgression” (Psa. 19:11-14).
Even the shepherd-king of Israel went astray. But the world and the word
were constant reminders of the glory of God and the law of the Lord. They
pointed him back to his goal.
The result of following the
Lord’s will is a transformation into His image. “Then I shall be
blameless” (Psa. 19:13) is an aim that we grow closer to achieving only
as we grow closer to God. He has revealed Himself to man so that we can
become more like Him who created and redeemed us. We are to “be perfect,
as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). It is just one more
way for those in the world to see God. They can know that He is alive in
the lives of His people. Our goodness is a reflection of His greatness.
Indeed, how great Thou art!
Let us sing and make melody to Him with a grateful heart.
Copyright (C) 2002-2008 Southside
Church of Christ
All rights reserved.
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