Overwhelmed
We can all agree that God is holy, right? I mean, we have countless songs that talk about it –
“Holy, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty.”
“Holy, holy is He.”
“Holy Spirit you are welcome here.”
“Holy is the Lord God Almighty.”
There are numerous scriptures that talk about his holiness, too many to write here.
There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. ~ 1 Samuel 2:2
Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. ~ Psalm 99:5
And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” ~ Isaiah 6:3
Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ~ Hebrews 7:26
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. ~ 1 John 2:20
Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” ~ Revelation 15:4
Knowing God is holy is basic Sunday School 101. In that same class we learn the word “holy” means sacred or set apart. Knowing and appreciating are two different things, though. It’s easy to just say, “Yeah, yeah. God is holy. No big deal.” But when you stop to really consider what that means – as much as is humanly possible, anyway – it’s a source of great awe and wonder and it serves to put into perspective the magnificence of a God we can’t begin to fathom.
In Exodus God tells Moses, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” A commentary I read a while ago summed it up like this: “A full discovery of the glory of God would overwhelm even Moses himself.”
God is so holy, so beyond compare, that we cannot even look at the fullness of him. It would be more than our human minds could comprehend or handle. But he gives us a sneak peak all the time.
Think about this for a moment. A beautiful sunset, a bright rainbow, majestic mountains, lush valleys, fragrant flowers, rugged shorelines, rolling hills, otherworldly deserts, rushing waterfalls, towering trees… All this splendor was placed on this earth for us. God didn’t make such beauty in nature for himself. I am convinced all this grandeur is to give us just a glimpse of his glory.
Have you ever seen or heard something so beautiful that it brought you to tears as your heart stirred? Maybe it was a dazzling landscape. Maybe it was a brilliant concerto. Maybe it was watching your child sleep. The experience was nearly overwhelming, wasn’t it? THAT is why we can’t look on God’s face. There are times we can barely handle just the slightest flash of his glory.
Or consider the vastness and haunting beauty of the universe. There is no way for us to understand how big the universe is. We can’t begin to know how many stars it contains or how many galaxies there are. Even the smartest scientific minds can’t answer these questions. It is simply too staggering to perceive.
Yet however big the universe is, God is bigger. He created said universe, after all. Why? What good does it do him? I have no idea, but what I do know is that it has always been a source of awe and wonderment for us. The more advanced the human race grows, the more we find to explore. And the more we find to explore, the more astonished we become. We are humbled when we see just how small we are compared to the world as we know it. We are astounded by the glory God deems fit to reveal to us.
Yes, God is holy. There is no one and no thing that comes even close to comparing with him. And to me the most overwhelming thing of all is that he desires to have a relationship with me, an insignificant blip on the map of all his creation. The implications are enough to make me fall face down, crying out in my unworthiness, but joyfully wrecked to be so loved and deemed worthy by such a Holy God.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. ~ Psalm 13:5
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I want to be mindful enough to have more if those heart stopping tear jerking moments of awareness….it really takes purpose….thanks for reminding me of God’s overwhelming holiness….and unbounded grace!
I do, too, Ruth. It’s so easy to get caught up in the madness of life that we completely miss those moments.
Every word is so beautiful here, Jen. Every time I take communion, I’m torn up by the holiness it represents. And when I read in the NT about the veil being torn so that we can have access to the Holy of Holies, it blows me away. I know I can’t adequately wrap my mind around it, and still. In.Awe.
It’s too much to take in, isn’t it??
This verse takes me back to Kid’s Camp Rocks and the kids worshiping God with their pure hearts and sweet faces, singing their little hearts out.
There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. ~ 1 Samuel 2:2
Loved your take on holiness Jen. “There are times we can barely handle just the slightest flash of his glory.” So thankful to have daily reminders of his presence, in the simplest of things. We just need to slow down and be present in those moments.
” We just need to slow down and be present in those moments.” I’m afraid I miss them more than I don’t!
I was just thinking yesterday about Moses asking to see God’s glory. It really is overwhelming! Great post, Jen:)