“Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:3).
Missionary Kurt Holthus referred to this scripture during his message Sunday night and it has been rolling around in my mind ever since. According to Webster, to magnify means, ”to make greater in size, status, or importance; to enlarge.” By the way, to read the definition of the word “magnify” from the dictionary I had to put on my reading glasses to enlarge the words. How ironic is that?!
We are all faced with a choice here. We can look at life through the lens of faith or the lens of fear. When we look through the lens of faith, God is magnified. But when we look through the lens of fear, our problems are magnified.
In 1 Samuel 17, Saul and the army of Israel looked at Goliath through the lens of fear. As a result, they concluded that the giant was too big to hit. David, on the other hand, viewed the situation through the lens of faith. Remember his cry? “The battle is the LORD’s.” As a result, he concluded that the giant was too big to miss!
In 2 King 6 the servant of Elisha arose early one morning to find their city surrounded by the Syrian army preparing to attack. Seeing through the lens of fear, he cried out to Elisha, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” Viewing the situation through the lens of faith, Elisha calmed his servant saying, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” That’s when God opened the eyes of the servant to see the chariots of fire and hosts of heaven surrounding them.
In Psalm 34 David was in trouble (you can read about it in 1 Samuel 21:10-15; 22:1). And yet, in his trouble David chose to magnify the Lord and look through the lens of faith. What was the outcome? David told us in v4, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
What is your view of God today? Is He bigger than your problems, or are your problems bigger than your God? Let’s choose to look at life through the lens of faith. No matter what your circumstances may be, answer the call of the psalmist. Magnify the Lord, and He will deliver you from all your fears.
Pastor Todd Weston
Missionary Kurt Holthus referred to this scripture during his message Sunday night and it has been rolling around in my mind ever since. According to Webster, to magnify means, ”to make greater in size, status, or importance; to enlarge.” By the way, to read the definition of the word “magnify” from the dictionary I had to put on my reading glasses to enlarge the words. How ironic is that?!
We are all faced with a choice here. We can look at life through the lens of faith or the lens of fear. When we look through the lens of faith, God is magnified. But when we look through the lens of fear, our problems are magnified.
In 1 Samuel 17, Saul and the army of Israel looked at Goliath through the lens of fear. As a result, they concluded that the giant was too big to hit. David, on the other hand, viewed the situation through the lens of faith. Remember his cry? “The battle is the LORD’s.” As a result, he concluded that the giant was too big to miss!
In 2 King 6 the servant of Elisha arose early one morning to find their city surrounded by the Syrian army preparing to attack. Seeing through the lens of fear, he cried out to Elisha, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” Viewing the situation through the lens of faith, Elisha calmed his servant saying, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” That’s when God opened the eyes of the servant to see the chariots of fire and hosts of heaven surrounding them.
In Psalm 34 David was in trouble (you can read about it in 1 Samuel 21:10-15; 22:1). And yet, in his trouble David chose to magnify the Lord and look through the lens of faith. What was the outcome? David told us in v4, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
What is your view of God today? Is He bigger than your problems, or are your problems bigger than your God? Let’s choose to look at life through the lens of faith. No matter what your circumstances may be, answer the call of the psalmist. Magnify the Lord, and He will deliver you from all your fears.
Pastor Todd Weston
