Praise you, my Heavenly Father, King of Glory, Creator of the universe, the Beginner and Ender of time. When you created all the physical universe, Satan was there, as were all the angels, fallen and faithful both.
What was there before all we know was created? We don’t know, but certainly there was a place where you dwelt, Lord, where you and all the spiritual beings you had created earlier existed.
You are much bigger, much more powerful and far greater than even the vast and deep spaces of the known universe indicate. It is, of course, impossible for our tiny human reasoning to grasp your dimensions, to understand what eternity entails, what it means to have existed forever, without being created, without change or growth because you are already perfect, living forever and ever.
Such thoughts are mind-warpingly beyond our comprehension, they are certainly magnificent and stunning—and comforting.
They are comforting because you, our Heavenly Father, in spite of your greatness and glory, in spite of your having no need for us, came to our insignificant Milky Way galaxy, crossing it’s 50,000-light-year radius to approach a tiny speck of dust tucked under one arm of the huge galactic spiral, and there, at great cost to yourself, proceeded to redeem the rebellious and repulsive population of sinners.
What reason could you possibly have had for this? There is no attractiveness, no usefulness, no positiveness about us–sinful and selfish as we are– to entice you into such a sacrifice. This is utterly illogical to our minds.
Yet, you, the Mighty and Majestic One, who has created all we can see and far more, stooped to gather into your embrace all the rebels who will come. You forgive, cleanse, adopt, equip and invite us into significant roles in your great plan to right wrong, infuse good, eliminate evil and bring a re-created universe into eternity with you. Wow!
Are we who have believed in you, going to refuse to join you in this great plan? Are we going to continue on in our self-centered, activity-based, feel good focus, taking for granted all you’ve done and given?
Or are we going to embrace all you have for us, making you the center of our lives, our being, our day, our activities? A no-brainer if we are looking at reality.
And that’s the key: you have given us full reality, as far as we can comprehend it, from your revelation in the Word. We need to eagerly let go of our natural worldview and leap wholeheartedly into your biblical worldview where you are Sovereign, Powerful, Good and Loving; where everything is rightside up: loving our enemies, forgiving as we have been forgiven, returning good for evil, giving thanks in all things.
You are inviting us into the adventure of living for you, in you, by you and with you in bringing history to a conclusion and sweeping as many as possible into an eternity with our marvelous and mighty God. To refuse such proffered purpose, meaning, honor and significance is the deepest form of insanity (being detached from reality). To surrender is the highest form of worship.
The choice is ours to begin now, surrendering our understanding to you, being filled with your Spirit, learning to think your thoughts, to live in your values and run in your paths of Truth, as laid out in your Word.
Lead us on to deeper and deeper surrender, Lord, thinking your thoughts, pursuing your purposes, living in your light, so that we may be more and more useful for you, continually bringing you greater and wider honor.
