Unsearchable Greatness
Katie Flores, Guest Writer
TODAY’S TREASURE
Have you ever found a passage of Scripture that you keep going back to over and over again? Join me this week as I walk through a deeper dive into a passage that has been that for me. I encourage you to read Psalm 145 and underline how many different words for praising God are listed. There are at least twenty. The psalmist describes the Lord's greatness as unsearchable. God cannot fully be understood. In these first three verses, we see the words extol, bless, and praise. God's generosity and enduring greatness are expressed.
These words carry me back to Genesis and the story of creation. Every time I read the first few chapters of Genesis, I'm awestruck again at God's majesty, His creativity, and His care. I've just finished teaching a four-year-old Sunday School class on creation for an entire quarter. This is not my first time teaching this unit to this age group, and as I began, I thought, "Wonderful, I've done this before, and Genesis is so familiar." As I prepared every single week, God's Word became fresh for me as I taught the great depth of the first three chapters of Genesis. God's living and active Word (Hebrews 4:12) is never tiresome or too familiar. I pray that the children in my class experienced this freshness as they listened to me recount stories that they've no doubt heard, but needed to hear in a new way as I encouraged them to go deeper in their thinking. Four-year-olds were able to understand that we are made in God's image and given heads that can learn about God, hearts that can love Him, and hands that can serve Him. I needed to learn the very same things as I prepared to teach them.
I remember teaching one Easter Sunday. As I shared about Jesus's resurrection, one child rolled his eyes and said, "I've already heard this story." I was able to tell him that it was wonderful that he was already familiar with this part of the Bible, but to keep listening because God always helps us understand a little more deeply. We can never get tired of hearing about His great rescue of His people. I prayed to myself that this child would hear and receive the truth of God's Word, tasting and seeing that He is good (Psalm 34:8).
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Where are you comfortable in your knowledge and understanding of God's Word? You may often think to yourself, like this child did, "I've already heard this story." God's greatness is unsearchable. We need to meditate on His Word and ask Him to deepen our understanding of who He is. Even as we teach a children's Sunday School class, we can remember things that we don't often dwell on. Children need strong truths conveyed to them with fewer words than an adult needs. As adults think about how to wisely share these truths, we ourselves are challenged to believe what we are teaching.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank You for Your unsearchable greatness. Give us hearts that desire to meditate on Your word and draw others to taste and see that You are good. Amen.
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Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.