Growing up! Key #3

Back in August, my wife and I enjoyed several days hiking through Acadia National Park in Maine. On one of those days, standing on the summit of Cadillac Mountain, I pulled out our binoculars to view the various boats out in the harbor. As I peered into the binocs, instead of seeing the boats "up close and personal" - they appeared even smaller and further away than they appeared to the naked eye. Duh! I was looking through the wrong end of the binocs!

Hmm. I think when it comes to our view of God, we often look at him through the wrong end of the binocs. Instead of seeing God as the almighty King of the Universe, we see a god of pygmy proportions. This brings me to this third key to spiritual growth: A HIGH VIEW OF GOD. Far too many Christians have a view of God that is way too small! And as J. I. Packer writes, if our view of God is that of pygmy proportions, then we "cannot hope to end up as more than pygmy Christians." We live in a world in which man is exalted and God is devalued. Sure, people talk a lot about "god" - but their concept of "god" is far removed from the gloriously majestic portrait of the God of the Bible. And if we are not careful, our view of God becomes far less than it should be! And the result is that we fail to "grow up!"

Let me encourage you to spend a few moments reflecting on this verse from the pen of the prophet Isaiah: "For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" (57:15) Do you possess a high view of God? When you think of him, do you think of him in these terms described by Isaiah? If you really want to grow up - then begin today to cultivate a HIGH VIEW OF GOD!

Thanks for listening,

pj

P.S. - If you want to develop your view of God, I recommend that you read J. I. Packer's book, Knowing God. It is a classic and has really stretched my view of God in the right direction.