One of the things that always troubles me is the way we Christians seek to formulate God in various ways so that we can understand Him and control Him. We put Him into our predestination “Reformed” box and see Him through that theological lens. Or, we put Him into our free will “Arminian” box. Maybe we look at Him through the lens of “Social Justice” and think we understand Him, or perhaps through our “Conservative” or “Progressive” lenses, where we think His politics are just like ours. Scripture, however, makes it clear that God is bigger than all of our boxes! He’s not like us and He doesn’t think the way we think. Let’s look together at a brief passage that can help us see God through a different lens: 

Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high? He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people! He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. (Psalm 113:5–9) 

I like this passage because it tells us two very different and contrasting ways of looking at our God. First, we read the psalmist’s rhetorical question: “Who can be compared to the Lord, who is enthroned on high?” Of course, we know the answer to this one – nobody. Nobody is like Him! God is the Supreme High Potentate of the Universe and He’s not like anybody else, ruling all of His creation with unlimited power, creativity, wisdom, glory, and joy. Second, the psalmist writes of God’s compassion, mercy, and love: “He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people! He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother.” This same God who rules the universe is the One who raises the poor, lifts the needy out of the garbage dump and puts them among rulers. He’s the same God who cares for childless women and puts them in families. You and I must always resist our tendency to put God into boxes and we must never lose our sense of wonder about Him. There’s nobody like our God in majesty and there’s nobody like our God in kindness and compassion.  

Worship the Lord today—the God of grace and glory! For truly, there is no better Good News!