Growing up, we never had PlayStation, Wii or Xbox. We lived on a small ranch in Colorado and had a lot of work to do. Cleaning stalls, painting fences, irrigating the pasture and picking up rocks (Colorado soil grows rocks) were necessities of the life we lived.
My brother and I are only 17 months apart in age, and we were really each other’s entertainment. We spent a lot of our spare time riding our bikes and creating adventures. Our imaginations worked overtime to invent new games. Cowboys and Indians was a favorite, as well as building forts and hideouts. We even had a secret place in the hayloft of the barn.
Kids today simply have no idea what fun can be had without a remote control in your hand. When we did get a gift, it was usually educational. It was not unusual for us to get boxes of books to read. Every young boy should read the Sugar Creek Gang series.
One Christmas, I received one of my favorite presents ever—a microscope. It was probably my fascination with a magnifying glass that led to the microscope. A magnifying glass is so very cool. If you angle it just right with the sun, you can start a leaf on fire (which is of course not what it was designed for). Better yet, you can inspect something tiny like an ant, and see all of the details: Eyes, antennae, legs, even miniscule hairs.
The microscope takes that exploration to a whole new level. A blade of grass or a drop of pond water has a dimension that you could never see without magnification. Discoveries are unearthed, which give you a totally different perspective from what you have experienced with the naked eye.
Psalm 34:3 says, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me” (emphasis added).Many times in the Psalms, David expresses a desire to magnify the Lord. His relationship with God was so meaningful that he wanted to magnify it. David was not satisfied with the God that he could “see” with the naked eye. He wanted to know the intimate details of God—the entity and substance of the Holy One that could only be known through magnification.
His soul thirsted for God. He longed for intimacy. It was not enough to dwell in the shelter of the Most High; David wanted to abide in the very shadow of the Almighty. Hear this: If a person does not have that kind of longing to know God, there is a very good chance he has never met Him. He has never become a child of Jehovah. The longing has been set within us. So, how do we magnifythe Lord?
Of course, God’s Word, fasting and prayer are critical to an understanding of the minutia of God. However, David adds another facet in Psalm 69:30. He says, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and shallmagnify Him withthanksgiving” (emphasis added). He added worship—worship that is a lifestyle.
My dear friend Charles Billingsley is an anointed vessel, gifted to move believers into a Holy realm—a realm of worship where you are ushered into the presence of God and the worship is so powerful and fervent that God almighty becomes very vivid. God’s character and virtues are literally magnified in your mind, soul and spirit.
This week in your Christ walk, magnify the Lord. Go to the deep places with Him. Don’t be satisfied with a Sunday morning snack. Dig into His Word. Spend time in His presence. Look at Him through the magnification of scripture and prayer. You might even try fasting. Put the flesh aside.
Allow your mind and spirit to discover things about God that are intimate, personal. Don’t be satisfied with the outer courts. Worship Him in the Holy of Holies. It is there that you will see God magnified.It is there that you will sense a nearness that will leave your soul longing for more. And remember, God wants to know you as well. He is the Great Pursuer. Seek Him, as He is seeking you. Magnify Him. You will discover things that you never knew—new things, profound things and life-changing things. I promise.
PRAYER POWER FOR 12/02/2013
This week spend time in His presence by starting your prayers with praise and adoration. Use scripture to help you express what’s in your heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you verbalize your worship in deep ways. Continue to pray that God will give you opportunities to share His love and provision with those in great need around you. Thank Him for His constant protection and companionship. Remember our military and their families as well as Israel and our allies.
Pray that President Obama and those working with him would rely on God for wisdom and guidance in making decisions affecting the nation and the world. Continue to pray for revival. Psalm 34:3; Psalm 69:30.
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