Scripture: Psalm 99:5
Magnify the LORD, our God! Bow low at his footstool! He is holy!
Thought for the Day: As a kid, whenever I heard or read the language of “magnifying the Lord,” I pictured in my head a microscope. It was, in my little head, about bringing God into focus. That was not what was meant by that word, though I think it was pretty creative. This verse is actually about placement – right placement. Where do you and I stand in relationship to God. The Lord is magnified, lifted up high. We are to bow, and not just a little, but low to the ground. Whether we take it literally or not, the idea is that God is God and we are not. And though we will soon begin the celebration of a God who became like one of us (incarnation at Christmas), God maintains an exalted status. Our egos do not always like that idea, and so we have been known to raise ourselves a bit higher than we should. It may feed our pride a bit, but in the end, it is not healthy spiritually. It’s not that God is arrogantly rubbing our faces in our lower status on some sort of ego-trip, but as people of faith, we declare God as the Holy Other deserving of our respect and honor. When our pride gets out of control, it is easy to forget who we are and our place in relationship to God. God loves us and treats us with dignity and respect, but God is still God and we are not.
Prayer: Thank you for being God! Thank you for never asking me to be God. I will continue to lift you up while also following your lead as One who chose humility as the way to salvation. Amen.
STRETCHING OURSELVES
WITH A 53rd
