“The Lord is great and is highly praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.”

Psalm 145:3

When he reached out to shake my hand it was like my entire forearm was swallowed in the palm of his hand. I felt and looked tiny standing next to him. My family was driving home from a visit to my mom’s when I looked over and saw NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal at a gas station.  As soon as I saw him I immediately went into the mode of doing whatever it took to meet him. When we pulled into that gas station, my two sons and I unapologetically interrupted Mr. O’Neal’s peaceful gas pumping moment. He was incredibly kind and gracious to us. We talked for a minute and took his picture with my sons.  What struck me most was his size. 7 feet and 1 inch is really tall!

That day, in response to seeing one of the all time NBA greats, I rearranged the direction I was headed so that I could meet him.  I’d like to think that the meeting was just as memorable for him as it was for me, but I doubt it. 

Worship is a response.  As our understanding of God becomes more accurate, the more we will rearrange our lives to show Him what He is worth. 

King David used the phrase, “His greatness is unsearchable” to describe God.  Another way to put that, is that it is impossible to measure His greatness. You can search and search but will never be able to find the beginning or end of God’s greatness. 

At times though, we try to make God measurable. We may not consciously try to make God smaller but as A.W. Tozer writes, “Left to ourselves we tend immediately to reduce God to manageable terms. We want to get Him where we can use Him, or at least know where He is when we need Him. We want God that we can in some measure control.” But God stands completely alone in immeasurable greatness.  His greatness continues for eternity in every direction. 

Before reading any further take a moment and ask God to reveal to you any ways that you may reduce His greatness. If you need to, ask Him to help you have a greater understanding of what it means for Him to be great.

What makes God great?  

Since His greatness is unsearchable, it is impossible to fully and accurately answer that question.  The Charles Buck Theological Dictionary defines the greatness of God as “the infinite glory and excellency of all his perfections.”   David attempts to describe God’s greatness in other places such as in Psalm 95:3-6, “For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. The depths of the earth are in his hand, and the mountain peaks are his. The sea is his; he made it. His hands formed the dry land. Come let us worship and bow down.”   So, Shaquille O’Neal’s hand swallowed my arm.  The hand of God swallows up all of creation and there is still an infinite amount of room for more. When you look into the clear night sky and see the stars that fill the sky, they are being held in the immeasurable greatness of the hand of God. If there were a billion other galaxies out there, there would be plenty of room in God’s hand to hold them and a billion more. His greatness has no limit.

Questions for Reflection:

What is it about God’s greatness that causes you to stop and be amazed?

How can the reality of God’s immeasurable greatness impact the way you think about what is going on in your life right now?