“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3
Scripture consistently takes the creation of God to be an illustration, and an explanation to some extent, of the greatness of God. It speaks of the expanse of the heavens, and yet the fact that there is not a sparrow that falls to the ground that He is not aware of. It speaks of the expanse, and depth of the oceans of the world, and yet, even sins in the sight of God are dealt with in a picture of them being cast into the deepest sea, there to be remembered no more. It speaks of the creation of every living thing, and creature, culminating in man who is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Such heights of glory revealed in the vast distances and compositions of things, and yet this God, the only true God, reveals Himself to sinful men, tender in his dealing with the young and the weak, and failing. This One who has the power and authority to create the heavens and the earth is beyond the capacity of man to grasp with regard to His power and might. And yet, man is confounded by the fact that when the Almighty speaks, it is often in that still, quiet voice, that simple clarity of His holy word. Who can grasp the great purposes of God, this God of Abraham who declared to Moses and the people, “I AM THAT I AM?” And who can sound the depths of His gracious dealings with men, especially when it comes to saving a lost soul? Who can explain how this Holy God, perfectly righteous and good, could have anything to do with sinful, and rebellious men? And yet, for the one, whether old or young, Christ comes to reveal Himself to the heart, awakening the heart to the reality of His presence, and extending His hand to grasp the sinner sinking helplessly in sin? How we explain His strange, yet wonderful designs, that He should go out on the mountains alone, to a singular cross, to seek the individual sheep lost and about to die? How can we grasp something of God unless we seek Him in response to His working in the heart, to know something of His love, goodness, and grace? The great and simple words of the Lord Jesus to such a seeking soul are these: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matt. 6:7,8) Where does one begin in the pursuit of God, to know Him, to commune with Him, and to trust Him to be all to the heart and soul? It begins with being willing to hear His voice and respond to it in faith and obedience.
From the day that the walls of Jericho fell, when Joshua and the people of Israel went up to possess the city, till the day when Jesus came to Jericho, and going out of it a blind beggar crying out to him, there had passed probably around thirteen hundred years. Yet, on this singular day, when Jesus heard the cry of a seeking heart, that of Bartimaeus, the Son of God, surrounded by His disciples and a large number of people, “stood still.” Out of the noise, and movement, the heart of God heard the cry of a desperate man, a helpless man, but a man who had become convinced of who Christ was, even though because of his blindness he had never seen Him. Why? It was because of the greatness of God, His immeasurable mercy and grace, His tender dealings with the suffering of men, in particular that which pertained to their salvation. Bartimaeus would not be silenced by the crowd, nor would he be restrained by his garment which he cast away. Christ had called him. He came, asking only to receive his sight. Christ healed the believing Bartimaeus.
Dear Father, Show forth Thy magnificence. In Jesus’ name, Amen .