“For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.” Psalm 95:3 (NLT)
The percentage of Christians who would agree with the declaration “The Lord is a great God” is probably pretty high, but what does it really mean to us and in what ways does it affect our outlook on life?
It is one thing to have an intellectual understanding that acknowledges the greatness of our God, but it is something infinitely greater when that understanding permeates our thoughts and actions. What makes God great and what should it mean to us?
We cannot even begin to scratch the surface of the reasons why God is great, but here are 5 very important ones. First, God is a great God because He is good. It is vital for us to understand that God only has the best intentions for us that whatever he does, whether it is blessing or correction and He does it for our good. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34
God is great because He is the creator of all things. Our planet and sun reside in the Milky Way galaxy. But the Milky Way galaxy isn't anywhere near as big as the universe. There are billions of other galaxies in the universe. And yet, filled with billions of galaxies, the universe is almost totally empty. The distances from the one galaxy to another are beyond our imagination. The creator of this universe is God, who with His Word, spoke it into existence. He is present everywhere in this universe and beyond. He holds it all together with His mighty power. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
God is great because He never changes. How many things can we really count on? God declares, “I the Lord do not change.” Malachi 3:6 He doesn't have one set of standards for us today and another tomorrow. He doesn't change the rules in the middle of the game. He is great, because he never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
God is great because He is dependable. At the end of Joshua's life, he reminded the people that everything God had promised to them had come to pass. (Joshua 23:14) Not one time had he failed them and therefore because He had not failed them in the past, they could count on Him in the future. This is why we can count on Him for the future, because He has never failed in the past. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Luke 21:33
God is a great God is because of His great salvation. Perhaps, it is His provision for our salvation that most greatly exemplifies the greatness of God. We should remember that salvation was not a response to an unanticipated situation because from the beginning, our salvation was part of God's plan. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Because the Lord is a great God we can know that He loves us. “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1 (NLT) Because the Lord is a great God we have greater access to Him. “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” Ephesians 3:12 (NLT) Finally, we have a responsibility to declare the greatness of God to others, because everyone needs to know that there is a great God in heaven who loves them and who has provided a way of salvation.