Experiencing God's Presence #128

Experiencing God's Presence #128

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:3, NKJV

Some translators don’t like to use the word magnify in verses like this, perhaps for concern of implying that the infinite God has the potential to become larger. And while we can certainly agree that God is already infinitely large, we know He isn’t as big as He needs to be in our own hearts and minds. Our perspective is distorted. We need to magnify Him in our own vision.

In fact, we need to do that a lot. That’s because we have a tendency to magnify our issues to be greater than God. And even if we don’t underestimate His power, we easily underestimate His willingness to show it. We know He can overcome any obstacle we face or any problem we have, of course, but we don’t expect that He will. We believe in His Presence without practically knowing it. And it’s usually because we don’t magnify Him and “exalt His name.”

Fill your thoughts with God’s greatness, and your experience of His greatness will increase. Focus on the depths of His love, and your experience of His love will grow deeper. When you face a crisis, be excited about the opportunity to magnify Him in the midst of the lesser issue, knowing that He already has a solution for whatever it is. Praise Him for His zeal to fight your battles and come to your defense. Your victories often depend on your acknowledgment of the Victor; your strength on your praise of the mighty Warrior; your healing on your trust in the Healer. Magnify Him in every way—thoughts, words, and deeds—and the infinite God will become larger to you.

Lord, You are the great and mighty God, exalted above every person, every passion, every problem. Fill my heart with Your praise—and with You. Let me experience the wonder of who You are.