Gripped By His Greatness

Last week, I finished reading “Gripped by the Greatness of God” by James McDonald. I wanted to keep with what I started and write on here what I learned from this book…if I can find the words. I have been struggling with getting it on paper for awhile now – God is so big! I have been persistent in writing it because all too often, I read a great book, think “Oh, that changed my life” and throw it on my bookshelf and never look at it again. This is giving me a good way, not only to reinforce it but an easy way to revisit it in the future. Believe it or not, this really is my shorten version! It isn’t even a long book but it has huge concepts that I am still trying to get my mind around. Don’t worry if you can’t make it through my whole post…it is more for my benefit that I have included it on here.

The book gives a detailed study of six chapters in the book of Isaiah, each deal with a different, but very big characteristic of God. In the first chapter we are ushered into His throne room through Isaiah 6 and given just a glimpse of His holiness. James takes you phrase by phrase through the inconceivable scene. Isaiah is so overcome by the sight of this holy God, he can’t even bring himself to look any higher than the train of His garment before going on to talk about the angels. And in describing the angels, Isaiah again goes back to the holiness of God. “And one called out to another… ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’” (v.3). So many words could have been used here, “but,” James says, “God, in a mystery we could guess at but never comprehend chose that the words spoken continuously before His throne would be of His holiness.” Like Isaiah, with this fresh gaze upon God’s holiness, I felt “ruined”. “Be holy because I am holy.” What a high mountain to climb…if THAT is God, than I am less than nothing and that commandment is completely unattainable. Thankfully, the scene then goes to a loving picture of our forgiving and merciful God, who makes atonement for our sin. James ends the chapter on holiness with a prayer that I have made my own: “Oh, God, I want to see You reigning, not just upon Your throne but in my heart, in my life, in my home, and in my relationships. Pursue me with a desire to be like You that I cannot outrun.”

In the second chapter, we focus on Isaiah 40 and we turn and look back at the His handiwork, the Earth. James list several scientific facts (which I heard quite a bit lately, but still can’t get my head around enough to repeat) about HOW small we are. It all serves to boggle your mind at just HOW big God is. And it works…more than I can comprehend, bigger than I see. But not only did He create all this…He sustains it. Just the same, He created me and sustains me. I fall to my knees, yet again. How can I NOT trust Him? Look at all He created with merely words. Surely, He can take care of me. You would think I would have learned this by now… He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, He is capable of meeting my needs.

Chapter three lead us to another great mountain, the one of God’s sovereignty. Not only can I not climb to the top of this mountain, I can not even see the top! It is so beyond me! I had a hard time with this chapter (Isaiah 45). I lingered here for a couple weeks, determined not to move on until I got it. I never did. But God is still sovereign whether I get it or not. My accepting or rejecting it changes nothing; He works things according to His will regardless. I have to hold on to what I do know: He is good and He does all things well!

The next chapter takes us on a tour of what God is doing in the world and what He is doing IN us (Isaiah 55). We look again at His marvelous creation, His gift of forgiveness, which is for everyone and the humble truth that it is free. I was encouraged by the great work of God’s Word. I love God’s Word…I love studying it and I love sharing it. James says, “Be faithful to sow the truth of His Word, and He promises (v. 11) that it will not return without succeeding in the purpose for which He sent it forth.” This chapter reminded me once again of God’s faithfulness and made it me want to be faithful back.

The fifth chapter looks at our worship of God. I had high hopes of a “feel good” chapter. Worship is one of my favorite things. Certainly I had this one figured out, right? Not even close. I was humbled at how much I had to learn in an area I thought I excelled. This is an extremely painful chapter for me as I realized through Isaiah 58 that God sometimes holds me at arms length during worship. James writing stings:

“What if you kneel to pray but on the inside you refuse to yield…How about
sitting in church with you Bible open but your heart closed…How do you think
God feels when we casually take the Communion bread and cup? Our minds
wander to trivia and fail to seriously scour the hearts Christ died to cleanse?
Those are times when God ignores our worship.”

But James is also quick to remind us, “Far from condemnation, Isaiah invites us to joyful transformation.” He goes on to give the attitudes of our heart, where God ignites our worship. When we are focused on the freedom of Christ, when we convey the compassion of Christ then God is in our midst. I realized more through this chapter than ever before that true worship of God is being like His Son, who though He is God became a servant. I pray to God that He will keep me from being satisfied with anything less.

The final chapter was worth waiting for. It shows through Isaiah 43 (LOVE this chapter!) that by studying Who God is, we find who we are. He writes, “My value is not in who I am but in whose I am.” All that we have learned about Who God is, relates to who we are in Him. It was a great, final chapter to a great book.

I closed this book freshly gripped by His greatness, stunned by His holiness, astonished by His sovereignty and left completely amazed at Who He is. God owns the universe, fashioned it all with spoken word and still holds it all together with His hands. How great He is!! He is out of this world BIG, yet closer than your skin! Amazing God!!!