How Great is our God

Ahhh fall. In the desert we gladly receive this season with the all the hopeful anticipation that folks on the East coast welcome summer. For us it means cooler weather ( under 100 degrees), breathtakingly bright sunsets and the kids finally back in school.

All my “babies” have graduated from high school now. The youngest was handed that hard earned diploma last May. This semester he began classes at a local college. 

His first week there, after attending each new class, we would talk about whether or not he liked the class and what his overall impressions were.

One day, he phoned after his astronomy class, which I was certain he would love. He’s always been interested in science. 

When I asked him what he thought, he stumbled on his words for while and struggled to find the right ones. Then he said something like this, “ Looking at vastness of the universe, I realize just how insignificant I am. There is so much out there that has yet to be seen, studied or understood. Its God’s realm and I feel like I am trespassing.”

Psalm 97:6 says

“The heavens declare His righteousness, 

And all the peoples see His glory.”

Seeing what is merely a brushstroke on His vast universal canvas is awe-inspiring and indeed humbling.

This reminded me of where the book of Hebrews relates how God the Father describes Jesus:

“...heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ”  Hebrews 1:2-3

Everything belongs to Jesus, everything! He is God, Creator of all things and the One who hold all things together!  Amazing and humbling.

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John got a glimpse of Jesus in all HIs glory. Having walked side by side with the Savior while he was in His earthly body, John is overcome by his heavenly vision of the Resurrected Exalted Christ

 “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;  His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.” Revelation 1:12-17

The Presence of Jesus is so powerful and majestic that no man can stand in it.

Upon John the Baptist’s recognition of just exactly WHO Jesus was, he succinctly exclaimed,

 “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

It’s not a theological argument or position John is taking here. Not a decision he is trying to talk himself into making. This is an automatic and genuine response to the realization of  just how great He is. 

There is no other choice when I truly encounter Jesus, the Living God. I must decrease. You and I simply don’t hold a candle to the brightness of His being. He outshines everything and everyone, ever.

After the apostle John falls at the Glorious One’s feet in Revelation, Jesus does the most amazing thing.

Listen! This is the best part:

“ But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. “  Rev. 1:17-18

Jesus has the keys! He has overcome the last and final enemy: death. No one can say that but Jesus. He is THE Victor. 

Living a family whose members often are off searching for their misplaced keys, it is completely reassuring to know that the key to eternal life is in Jesus’ powerful and capable hands!

It touches me to know that those same hands reached out to comfort his prostrate disciple John, empowering him with these longed for words,  “Do not be afraid..”

Only Jesus has the ability to truly back that command up.

He is the first and the last. He who lives and was dead and is alive forevermore.

What you and I are going through can never change Who He is. 

And we find out who we are, by looking to Him.

We are His.

Watch below and drink in the lyrics...

“Who am I? Casting Crowns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=othmFqaw0Yk

*It’s been awhile since my last post. We visited the University of Colorado for some further info. In the meantime, I have been back on the targeted gene therapy, re-challenging it with a higher dosage and was rescanned yesterday. The results showed that I have new growth in 9 new lymph sites in my chest/ esophagus area, while some of the previous areas actually shrunk. The doctors here in Arizona and Colorado concur that this gene therapy drug is failing, as cancer often develops resistant pathways to some medications.

Therefore, I will be starting traditional chemo treatments this coming Monday Oct. 1st.

As always I appreciate your prayers. It’s always amazing to see what unfolds as we step on the pathway He has marked out for us.

Praying to trust Him in each step. You trust Him too in whatever you are going through also ok?

Remember, He holds the keys!