The Majesty and Condescension of God
“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes—with the princes of His people. He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!”
“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised.” The phrase “Praise the Lord!” has become such a cliché that we don’t stop to think about it. If we don’t praise God, whom else is there who is truly worthy of praise? God is perfect, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-understanding, and all-powerful. No leader of any stature, international or otherwise, can compare with God. While we might consider praising religious leaders or academic leaders, or leaders in business, sooner or later, every one of these people will prove fallible and some of them downright corrupt and vicious.
“The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?”
Even when viewed from the moon, planet earth looks pretty small. But when we consider all the galaxies in the universe, earth amounts to only a tiny speck. No matter how powerful or magnificent or charismatic a human leader is, God far excels that leader in every category. For God, who dwells outside of space and time to concern Himself with us, He must truly humble Himself. But God is also the Lord of space, including not only outer space, but spatial dimensions. God can shrink Himself without sacrificing any of His glory or majesty. God can also be omnipresent, present at all times and all places, due to this same power. This is why Jesus could be born as a baby, even though He was the Son of God. One of the many miraculous things about God is that He DOES concern Himself, because He loves us and wants fellowship with us, even though we don’t deserve it.
“He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes—with the princes of His people. He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” God always has the most vulnerable groups on His heart. God can take those who are so poor and needy that they have nowhere to sit apart from rubbish heaps and promote them to the level of princes. Barren women have always suffered stigmatization for their lack of children and the shame that somehow their bodies have proven inadequate. Furthermore, barren women are likely to suffer in their old age because they have no children to care for them. God cares for all these groups and wants them to feel safe, loved, and cared for.
APPLICATION: This psalm is particularly meaningful for me because I am a barren woman. Why I have never become pregnant, I don’t know; however, I realize that if I had borne children of my own, I could never have done some of the things God has called me to do.
My surgical training was time and labor-intensive, but it has paled in comparison to our work in remote hospitals in Northern Ghana. For much of my career, I have been the only doctor for more than 100,000 patients in rural areas with terrible roads and grinding poverty. At one point, we were in the midst of a tribal conflict. In situations where I have been on duty 24/7 for months and sometimes years, I would never have been able to properly mother a child. I am a perfectionist and the stress between attempting to be a good mother and a good doctor would have torn me apart. But nonetheless, I still have children.
God has placed me in the lives of many young people whose loving parents were unable to gain an education. In such settings, these parents can only offer limited advice; meanwhile, I have been through high school, university, medical school, residency, and a Master’s degree program. I am a member of several professional organizations. I have worked in a large variety of facilities, both in the U.S. and in Ghana. I can offer advice based on these experiences. I always emphasize that I am not taking the place of anybody’s parents and that these young people should honor their parents for the sacrifices those people have made to help their children attain a certain status. But after I establish that fact, I can give advice with the authority of someone who has paid the price in hard work and study.
Sometimes the people to whom we are closest are not blood relatives but those God has placed in our paths. The important thing is that everyone needs parents and friends; nobody outgrows the need for those who can support and encourage us. Perhaps you find yourself far away from your immediate family. Look around you! Ask God to show you those people whom He wants you to befriend. The beating Heart of the universe is God’s Heart, a Heart of love. May God help us, so that we will be channels of His love, His goodness, and His grace!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, show us the people around us whom You are calling us to serve with Your love. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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