In the Old Testament, the word “magnify” is always used in regard to God, not humans. To magnify God means to make Him Bigger, or we could say to make Him the focus of our attention. Magnifying something means you look intently at it; you study it. When I experience a trial, I realize how quickly I focus on my problem, making it bigger than it really is. As I was reading Psalm 69 and 70 yesterday, I noticed the Psalmist uses the word “magnify” when he is experiencing a trial: “[when] I am afflicted and in pain, I shall magnify the Lord.”
When hard times come, we have a choice: we can magnify the problem or magnify the Lord. But there is another option that keeps appearing in the “think positive” messages of today’s prosperity teachers (read any of Joel Osteen’s Daily Devotional messages and you will see this trend). The message is to magnify yourself with “I am” messages: I am successful; I am wealthy, I am prosperous; I am wise, I am well-liked, etc.
These “I am” messages really make us to be equivalent to God. Jehovah means “I AM”, the Self-Existing One. I’ve often thought we should be careful about our “I am” statements, whether they are used in a negative way (I am a loser) or a positive way (I am great). Our “I am” statements must always be premised on the great “I AM.” It is only Christ’s life in me that makes me what “I am.” Because “He is,” I am. The next time you are tempted to magnify your problems. Magnify the Lord. “Greater (Bigger) is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”
Magnifying the Lord always puts things in their proper perspective!
When hard times come, we have a choice: we can magnify the problem or magnify the Lord. But there is another option that keeps appearing in the “think positive” messages of today’s prosperity teachers (read any of Joel Osteen’s Daily Devotional messages and you will see this trend). The message is to magnify yourself with “I am” messages: I am successful; I am wealthy, I am prosperous; I am wise, I am well-liked, etc.
These “I am” messages really make us to be equivalent to God. Jehovah means “I AM”, the Self-Existing One. I’ve often thought we should be careful about our “I am” statements, whether they are used in a negative way (I am a loser) or a positive way (I am great). Our “I am” statements must always be premised on the great “I AM.” It is only Christ’s life in me that makes me what “I am.” Because “He is,” I am. The next time you are tempted to magnify your problems. Magnify the Lord. “Greater (Bigger) is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”
Magnifying the Lord always puts things in their proper perspective!
Greg,
ReplyDeleteSpot on, my brother! I believe God has put it in my heart to request that He cause me to become more aware of His presence than my own. Having come through a recent period of testing in my relationships and in my work has seemed to put this ambition on the back burner. But God has heard my cry and He is working in me both to will and to do of His good pleasure whether I feel it happen or not. It is my conviction that there will come a time in this life when I will become aware that the answer to my request has been granted.
As the writer of Hebrews says, "you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive the promises."
ReplyDeleteAbide, as we say "hang in there."