Could We Live Like God Is Greater?

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Recently I wrote about how our lives might change if we understood how God loves us, and how gracious and merciful He is. I want to follow on from that with another one – how would we change if we understood how great God is?

If you go to church much you will probably have sang quite a bit about the greatness of God. But do you really live like He is great?

Often prayer is our last resort. When we do finally resort to it, we are asking for miraculous things but in a way that is barely hopeful that maybe this last attempt might work.

We don’t seem to understand that God wants to help us, and wants us to bring everything to Him. And even more than that we don’t really get that He is so much greater than we could possibly imagine, He is ‘able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think’ (Eph 3:20)

God created the whole world, He existed before everything else, He loves us like no one else and He is greater than all else! And He loves us so much that He listens to our every request and delights to bless us!

The Bible tells us how Nehemiah went back to Israel to build the wall of Jerusalem when it was broken down and burned with fire. 

They were like sitting ducks, because they had enemies who were prepared to attack them to stop it from going ahead, but the Jews had no wall to protect them because they were still building it!

The Jews who lived near there came and ‘told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.” (Neh 4:12)

It really looked like what they were doing was pointless, because they would be attacked easily. And often we think the same thing, ‘I can’t cope’, ‘I can never manage that’, ‘It’s all too much for me’. What is against us just seems to great for us.

But we can learn from what Nehemiah did:

Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 

And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”(Nehemiah 4:14)

He positioned men, and told everyone to remember God is great. We need to fight, but we have God on our side who will help us so we shouldn’t be discouraged!

I have heard the story of David so many times, but I never tire of hearing what he said to Goliath:

‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.’ 1 Samuel 17:45-46

David knew that God was greater! He was just a boy, Goliath was a giant. He had only stones and no armour, whereas Goliath had 3 weapons and full armour and combat experience. 

Though the odds seemed impossible humanly, he knew that he had God on his side so there was no problem – God would have the victory!

How might we change if we understood how great God is?

  • We might worry less and trust God to take care of us
  • We might take more of our problems to Him instead of only using Him as a last resort
  • We might step out in faith against crazy odds when we know that God is on our side
  • We might not fret so much about the future, because we know who holds the future and He is greater than everything else!
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable. 
Psalm 145:3

‘Our God is Greater’ is a song that goes so well with this topic:


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