Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth. Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. (1 Chronicles 29:11)
Dr. Wilson’s Story
Robert D. Wilson (1856-1930) was a scholar who devoted his life to showing the Hebrew Bible’s reliability. In proving the accuracy of the Old Testament manuscripts, Wilson learned all the languages into which the Scriptures had been translated up to 600 AD. He was a Professor at Princeton and Westminster seminaries.
Wilson went to hear one of his students (Donald Barnhouse) preach and said, “I came to see if you are a big-godder or a little-godder. Then I know how your life and ministry will unfold.” Wilson explained that people with a little god are always in trouble. Their god can’t create or do miracles. He can’t forgive big sins or help people change their lives in big ways. Their little god can’t take care of the Bible’s inspiration and transmission to us over the centuries. He doesn’t intervene for His people or answer prayer. These people follow a little god who is really no god at all.
Wilson explained that other people, Jesus’ followers, have the great, awesome, almighty, invincible God, the Lord of the Bible (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) on their side. This God speaks and things happen. He commands and things stand firm. The Lord shows Himself strong for people who love, fear, trust, and obey Him. Dr. Wilson said to Barnhouse, “You, young man are a big-godder, and the Lord will bless your life and ministry. He will use you for His praise.”1
Assured of God’s Big Love
Near age 70, Dr. Wilson finished a lecture on the trustworthiness of Scripture and said to his students, tears streaming down his face: “There are many mysteries in life I can’t understand, many things hard to explain. But I can tell you with absolute assurance: Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so!”
King Jesus is merciful and mighty, using His infinite strength to bless His people. God said to Moses, “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion….[I am] the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin.”2
God can do anything, anything, anything.
God can do anything but fail.
He can save, He can cleanse, He can keep us and He will.
God can do anything but fail.3
King David Says God Is Big
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
And Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
Your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They feast on the abundance of Your house.
You give them drink from Your river of delights.
For with You is the fountain of life. In Your light we see light.4
Isaiah Says God Is Big
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.5
Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
God can do anything, anything, anything.
God can do anything but fail.6
Apostle Paul Says God Is Big
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?
For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever! Amen.7
The Lessons
Let’s focus on the Big God of the Old and New Testaments. He is in total control of the universe. The Lord has the whole world and us in His hands. He is wise, strong, and loving enough to win against sin, Satan, death, disease, and all false religions. God is able to heal our families and our nations. He is able to make us effective parents and to save our children. The Lord is big enough to help us do your work for Him. He is attentive enough to know our physical, spiritual, emotional, mental needs and to provide for them. The God of the Bible (Father, Son, and Spirit) is big enough to handle all this and more! Let’s praise Him forever and ever!
Prayer: Lord, forgive us for acting like we can handle our lives on our own. Forgive us for treating You like a vending machine to meet our needs. Forgive us for living with ourselves on the throne. Forgive us for hallowing our own name, advancing our own little agenda, and doing what we please. Wake us up to Your bigness, Your greatness, Your transcendence, and Your majesty. Help us to delight in bowing before You and being Your grateful servants. Make us content to love and glorify You (not ourselves) and to enjoy You forever. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Notes (various Bible translations): 1 Adapted from James M. Boice’s Joshua: We Will Serve The Lord (p. 114-115). 2 Ex 33:19; 34:6-7. 3 from the hymn by Ira S. Stanphill. 4 Psalm 36:5-9. 5 Isaiah 40:28-31. 6 from the hymn by Ira S. Stanphill. 7 Rom 11:33-36.