Majesty Meets Mercy (Part 1)

Think about the word “majesty.” And “splendor.” I love these words. Do you want to know what I think of when I think of these? Well, let’s take a trip inside my mind.

I take a deep breath.

Majesty. Splendor. Vastness and greatness, beauty and extravagance. Nature in full glory. The snow-capped purple mountains in their hugeness. I spin around to take in the breathtaking scenery around me.

Beside this image, I see the ocean. The cool and crisp water rolls in, and teases my toes at the shore. The expansion of the sea reminds me of my finite mind and invites me to awaken my thoughts to the tossing and turning of the waves, miles and miles offshore.

Let’s come out of Amanda’s mind now and dig into the Bible. The Book of Psalms, chapter 104. PLEASE read it! You can read it here. (Or, open your Bible to Psalm 104.)

Did you read it yet?

Okay.

(I didn’t want to put it directly in this post, because it would take up half of the post, and that’s kinda long.)

Although I would really love to elaborate on every verse, well, that could easily be five posts. (Two and a half weeks!) So I’ve picked out a few of my favorite verses.

Verses 1-4:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul!

    O Lord my God, you are very great!

You are clothed with splendor and majesty,

    covering yourself with light as with a garment,

    stretching out the heavens like a tent.

He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;

he makes the clouds his chariot;

    he rides on the wings of the wind;

he makes his messengers winds,

    his ministers a flaming fire.”

GOD IS VERY GREAT! Clothed with splendor and majesty, and covered with light. (Isn’t that mental image awesome? Stretching out the heavens – makes the clouds His chariot – rides on the wings of the wind – oh goodness. The best part about this is that it’s not just great writing. It’s great explaining of infinite concepts, and inspired by God Himself.)

Verses 5-9 (my favorites!):

“He set the earth on its foundations,

    so that it should never be moved.

You covered it with the deep as with a garment;

    the waters stood above the mountains.

At your rebuke they fled;

    at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.

The mountains rose, the valleys sank down

    to the place that you appointed for them.

You set a boundary that they may not pass,

    so that they might not again cover the earth.”

 

Let me just say that that imagery is amazing. And absolutely 100% TRUE. God is in control of everything, ever. He spoke the universe into being. He created everything so beautifully and everything WORKS! He created perfection itself!

The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that God (in all of His wisdom) appointed for them. No rolling hill is an accident, no fingerprint is a mess-up, no piece of the ocean is in the wrong place, no island is a mile too close or too far away from where God wanted it to be, no face is formed wrong.

God. Designed. It. All. He designed it all, and has an eternal plan.

And yet, He cares. He’s not the giant mural artist who ignores the little specks of paint. No. No splotch of color is too small for Him to see. We are the specks, and He cares for all of us. ALL OF US!

This God – El Shaddai, Elohim, Yahweh, Adonai – in all of His majesty – is Abba. Father. He cares about us, because He is our Designer, Creator, Sustainer, and Provider. He is our Father, and loves us more than we will ever comprehend! He has mercy on us – His children – though His majesty is overwhelming. He is a BIG God, and yet he is a loving Father.

On Tuesday, I’ll get more into this, so stay tuned for Majesty Meets Mercy (Part 2)!

*aj