When we were kids, one of the most anticipated Cracker Jacks prizes was the little plastic magnifying glass. We excitedly used it to examine and discover the details and features of an object of interest. The purpose of the magnifying glass was to enlarge the subject – it heightened, widened, broadened, and deepened our understanding and knowledge.
In Psalm 34:3, David wrote: “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”
I believe David used the word “magnify” in two ways. First, he was encouraging us to honor God with our expressions of thanks, respect, and adoration. Second, I believe he was instructing us to clearly see God in His immenseness, His sovereignty, and His power.
When David faced Goliath, he carried with him a slingshot and stones, but he also carried an understanding of God’s unmatched power to defeat the taunting giant. In David’s preparation to confront Goliath, he put the enemy in perspective – he recognized that while immense in stature, the giant was powerless against a mighty God. David enlarged God in a critical moment, so that his heart and spirit could stand firm in God’s ability.
In today’s world we face many uncertainties and unknowns. The world we’ve known seems to be tipped upside down and turned inside out; truth is muddled and security is shaken. Without a solid foundation it is easy to succumb to world views, indifference, fear, hatred, and anger. When we lose sight of the awesomeness of God, we give commentary and authority to the very events and emotions that are trying to defeat and destroy us.
As we face the Goliaths in our lives, may our hearts remember to magnify (enlarge, heighten, widen, broaden, deepen) our God – recognizing that the chaos we see around us is mankind’s response to free-will, not evidence of God’s indifference. May we take time to see God clearly – His heart, His hopes, His character. And when we see the enemy, may we know without doubt that the God who stands with us towers high and above any Goliath that attempts to stand against Him.
For more on this topic, please visit the Whimspiration Youtube channel “Faith Hope & Friends”.