“Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11).

“You have multiplied, O Lord my God, Your wondrous deeds and You thoughts toward us; none can compare with You! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told” (Psalm 40:5).

GOD INFINITELY TRANSCENDS all that this world has to offer, whether it be art, music, films, fashion, fame, travel, the thrill of sport or the latest vogue of communication and computer technology. In fact, none of these activities are worthy to be even compared with the beauty and splendour of God, but why is it, that many who profess Christ, show more enthusiasm for the things of this world than for the things of God?

The modern church says that it is okay to be spiritual but to be earnestly serious about the things of God, at the expense of the world’s entertainment, is to be seriously weird. To keep in stride with the crowd and ‘progress’, one must inevitably spiritually digress. To be a mediocre Christian, one may achieve the standard of morality, but unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, we are either still outside of the kingdom of God or our witness to it in this world is extremely poor.

Those who are truly regenerate cannot feel at home in this life, for all that this world proposes to offer is seen as an empty passing pleasure and rather than quench the soul’s thirst, it intensifies, teases and aggravates one’s condition into a downward spiral. But, with the Christian, it is the very opposite; the water that Christ gives slakes the agonising thirst.

The Christian is not divorced from enjoyment, but what they enjoy makes all the difference. God doesn’t remove the things we enjoy per se, but He removes from our heart the illusion of things we thought were of worth. By God’s grace, the Christian discovers the Pearl of great price and with Paul, counts all things as rubbish in comparison to knowing Christ. First Timothy 6:17 states, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, Who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” God wants us to take hold of that which is truly life (verse 19). Christ came that we may have life in abundance, but that only becomes apparent as we follow Him; believing and obeying Him. To know that life in abundance, God must first take us out of the kingdom of darkness (what rules the system of this world) and establish us in His kingdom of light. We are not taken out of the world, but rather, we are garrisoned by a heavenly realm; we are kept by the power of God from the world’s influence. The soul is made sensible when extraordinary realities of the kingdom of heaven eclipse the ordinary affairs of life on earth and in such a sober minded condition, one can say with Jim Elliot, “He is no fool to lose what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

The Christian must be alert to the snare of loving this world and loving this world is to feel comfortable in it. The fact that we are at home in this life shows in a diminishing fervency for God; prayer no longer carries the intensity it once did and our hearts no longer burn when we hear the mention of His name; the hunger for God’s nearness has waned.

The youth, during the Hebridean revival, had a sudden distaste for the things of this world. Heaven had gripped their hearts and to this day, those who remain alive, still walk in the light of that Vision. Young people would pray in the presence of God until early hours of the morning. The burning fires of a greater World extinguished all lesser loves, saving those that were honouring to God.

I know in my hearts of hearts that if God were to descend among our Christian youth today (not to exclude adults), many habits and pursuits would be laid at the altar for God to consume; they would arise with pure motives, holy desires, inflamed with the greatest passion in living for Christ. In the light of God’s glory, an embarrassing reminiscence would occur for all the superficial things they loved in this world, which they so fiercely defend now. Until that takes place, careers and trivial pursuits will take pre-eminence in the heart.

Oh, That God would be intensely real in our generation! May James Hudson Taylor’s prayer be ours also: “Lord Jesus, make Thyself to me a living bright reality. More present to faith’s vision keen than any outward object seen, more dear, more intimately nigh than even the sweetest earthly tie.” 

It ought to be a sobering reminder when we read the words of Tozer who said, “…we’ll hardly get our feet out of time into eternity that we’ll bow our heads in shame and humiliation. We’ll gaze on eternity and say, ‘Look at all the riches there were in Jesus Christ, and I’ve come to the Judgment Seat almost a pauper.”’

“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all other gods. For all the gods peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendour and majesty are before Him…Worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth” (Psalm 96:4-6,9).

My God, how wonderful Thou art,
Thy majesty how bright!
How beautiful Thy mercy-seat,
In depths of burning light!

How dread are Thine eternal years,
O everlasting Lord,
By prostrate spirits day and night
Incessantly adored!

How wonderful, how beautiful,
The sight of Thee must be,
Thine endless wisdom, boundless power,
And aweful purity!

O how I fear Thee, living God,
With deepest, tenderest fears,
And worship Thee with trembling hope
And penitential tears!

Yet I may love Thee, too, O Lord,
Almighty as Thou art;
For Thou hast stooped to ask of me
The love of my poor heart.

No earthly father loves like Thee;
No mother, e’er so mild,
Bears and forbears as Thou hast done
With me, Thy sinful child.

Father of Jesus, love’s reward,
What rapture will it be
Prostrate before Thy throne to lie,
And ever gaze on Thee!

(Words by Frederick William Faber)
……………………………………

Object of my first desire,
Jesus crucified for me;
All to happiness aspire,
Only to be found in Thee:
Thee to praise, and Thee to know,
Constitute my bliss below;
Thee to see, and Thee to love,
Constitute my bliss above.

Lord, it is not life to live
If Thy presence Thou deny;
Lord, if Thou thy presence give,
’Tis no longer death to die:
Source and giver of repose,
Singly from Thy smile it flows;
Peace and happiness are thine;
Mine they are, if Thou art mine.

Whilst I feel Thy love to me,
Every object teems with joy;
May I ever walk with Thee,
For ’tis bliss without alloy:
Let me but Thyself possess,
Total sum of happiness:
Perfect peace I then shall prove,
Heaven below and heaven above.

(Words by: Augustus Montague Toplady)