Magnification
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 34:3
As I sat at my desk to write this blog entry, I was praising the Lord, singing of His goodness and majesty, and rejoicing in His sovereignty and might. Then I received a phone call informing me of the violent murder of a very close and dear friend’s father. My rejoicing turned to weeping in a moment.
I paused to pray for my friend and their family, I cried, I shook my head, and echoed the sentiment of John the Revelator, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20). During my pause I wondered if I could or should continue with this theme, if it was at all applicable in light of the tragedy of the day and the heartache it brought. I quickly realized that magnifying the Lord was the most perfect, most helpful, and most appropriate response.
To magnify is to make something larger. We magnify how something looks by enlarging it, by bringing it closer to us and refining our focus. By using a magnifying glass, we can get a closer look at things. When the magnification is powerful enough, we can see details that were not visible before. A small section of cells, when seen through a microscope, fills our whole field of vision with new information about their appearance and character. And when we look through a telescope, we can see other worlds: fantastic planets and stars that were set in place by Creator God in the beginning.
To magnify the Lord, then, is exactly what is needed when the cares of this world threaten our peace, our joy, and even our sanity. To get a closer look, to see and note the details of God’s character, to see the grandness of His splendor, to get a clearer picture of His love and care for us is what we need every day. To magnify the Lord until He fills our whole field of vision could even be the antidote for fear, confusion, discouragement, and sorrow.
In truth, however, we cannot actually enlarge the Lord. Solomon said in II Chronicles 2:6, “The highest heavens cannot contain Him.” How can we magnify the Lord God who is in all and through all (Eph. 4:6), whose throne is heaven, and whose footstool is the earth (Is. 66:1)? He alone is the King of Glory (Ps. 24:8,10) and the Lord God Almighty (Rev. 4:8). He already has all honor and dominion (Rev. 1:6) so how can we make Him any bigger?
While we cannot enlarge our limitless and boundless God, we can diminish Him in our own view. We can allow our own circumstances to fill our field of vision, making Him appear smaller in our eyes. We diminish Him when we look away to other things to satisfy and fulfill us, and when we focus on all the cares and obstacles in our day to day lives.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me, friend! When we magnify the Lord, we see more of Him, more of His character, and more of His love and righteousness. It is an acknowledgement that His worthiness is not dependent on our feelings or circumstances. God is worthy, God is bigger, God is sovereign, and God is constant, no matter our situation. Even on a day like today, even while we live through tragedy, hurt, disappointment, and discouragement, let’s magnify the Lord to see Him as He really is. He is worthy of all praise every day, so let us decide to praise Him and give to Him the worship He deserves. Today is the perfect day to get a closer look, to come in closer to Him and to dive deeper into His presence.
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. O fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear. Psalm 34:1-3, 9 (AMP)
