Big or Small

Luke 9: ¹⁸ And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

¹⁹ So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”

²⁰ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

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Ashamed of asking for forgiveness I decided to shrink away. “I’m tired of feeling pitiful” I thought to myself. Things weren’t going as well as I would have liked them to and to top it off, I was being told to confess how wrong I was to this “GOD” thing. I decided I had enough. I would try to fix things on my own.

• There were times when I thought very little of GOD.
• There were times when I thought GOD was just like other humans.
• There were times when I thought I could fix “me” better than GOD.

JESUS asks two very important questions to HIS disciples “Who do the crowds say I AM?” and “Who do you say I AM?” The disciples answered, “The crowds say YOU are special, but still only a human with gifts.” Then Peter said “YOU are THE CHRIST of GOD” which was the right answer.

• JESUS wants me to know HE is THE CHRIST who redeems the world.
• JESUS wants me to know HE is the only way to salvation in this life and eternity.
• JESUS wants me to know HE is THE SENT ONE from GOD.

If I can leave GOD then my view of HIM is extremely small. In reality, I can never get away from HIM because HE is too large to get around. HE is all knowing, all seeing and is everywhere. HIS power is infinite and HIS love the same.

When I think HE cannot forgive me “this time” then I have forgotten how large HIS love truly is. The same goes for my doubts of HIS deliverance from trouble, or HIS disbelief in the plan to prosper me. I make GOD small when I do not believe. BUT GOD is forgiving and says to me “All I need is a little faith and I will do the rest.” I am glad GOD is infinitely huge and loves me.

• Who do you say JESUS is?
• Do you feel your problems are larger than HIS love for you?
• Will you allow HIM to be larger than any human plot against you?

Make HIM Bigger

Isaiah 66: This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
² Has not my hand made all these things,
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,
    and who tremble at my word.

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Searching all over the house, I could not find my keys. I said a quick prayer “LORD help me” and in a moment I got a thought to look on the side of the bed and there they were. Another time, I could not get a bolt off of the car I was fixing. “LORD help me” were my words and soon the bolt eased its stubbornness and subsided. But when a large problem occurred I said “I wonder if I should even pray.”

• There were times when I thought GOD was small.
• There were times when I thought GOD was nothing but a punisher.
• There were times when I thought GOD was the “Man Upstairs” not paying attention to my needs.

Relegating GOD only to small tasks of finding keys or helping me fix a car or turning off the oven when I left to go to work became the norm. My faith in GOD soon followed. I did not believe HE could solve large problems because I never gave HIM the chance. BUT GOD was graceful to me.

• GOD placed me in situations where I had to trust HIM and HE did what HE said.
• GOD put me in circumstances where I had to believe only in HIM because there was nowhere to turn.
• GOD sent me to places where it was only me and HIM and I had to see that I was never alone.

Once I realized that GOD could never be contained in a building I soon saw how BIG HE truly is. HE is the GOD of the heavens and the earth. HE has all power and is everywhere. HE knows all, sees all and is in all, yet HE is concerned about finding my keys as well as any large issue I face. All HE wants from me is to love HIM through understanding HIS ways in HIS Word. That is humbling.

• Are you making GOD small by not asking HIM to meet or exceed your needs?
• Will you allow HIM to meet your needs in HIS time?
• Can you open your eyes around you and see just how large HE truly is?
• Will you allow HIM to grow you?