Day #329 - Not Contained

The Presence - A Devotional for living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder

““But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash

“How big is God and how tall is Jesus?”

One of my cousins growing up as a toddler had this important theological question. So my aunt called my Dad since he was a pastor and had her ask Uncle Dan. I remember my Dad was so happy about getting such a childlike question like this that inspires wonder and joy. How come we don’t ask these questions as adults anymore? We have much to learn from children. A childlike perspective can cause us to live more in awe and wonder of our God.

A key to “the Presence” is staying fascinated with God. The best prayer times I have are when I am fascinated with God. The best prayers I hear in prayer meetings are people who exalt God and proclaim who He is with awe and fascination. The best sermons I hear I leave me in amazement at who God is. We need to live in astonishment at the grandness of who God is.

When Solomon was building the temple and brining the ark into into He prayed a prayer of dedication as recorded in 1 Kings 8. This is where He prays that “the heavens, even the highest heaven,” cannot contain God. He acknowledges that where God dwells at the Ark and they desire His presence in the temple, God can’t be contained in the temple. As I heard preacher Mark Brattrud said, “If the heavens cannot contain God, then God must contain the heavens.” This thought is almost too wonderful for me.

God cannot be contained yet He is near us and lives in us who are in Christ. God cannot be contained in the heavens or in the earth but He dwells in His church now as He did the tabernacle and temple. He is so vast and so big that everything He has made cannot contain Him, rather He contains all things. He is so huge and mighty, but so close and so personal.

Why do we worry so much when all that we have and all that we are exists because of Him and is contained in Him? If He made all things then He is not contained by anything but He contains all things. We can’t even get the full measurement of the universe. He is a great God! He is powerful, mighty and awesome! There is no one like our God!

Father God, there is no one like You! You are the Creator and Sustainer of all things! You are the Almighty God. The heavens cannot contain You. You are greater than I imagined, yet You sent Your Son into this world so that I could know You. I marvel at Your greatness. In Jesus name, amen.