Praise Reflection (3 June) – How Great is our God!

‘How great is our God!’ we sing. Great indeed! But even such words as ‘great’ and ‘awesome’ are far too small to describe him. The comment is often made that if our limited human intelligence could sum up and categorise the Self-Existent, all-powerful God, he wouldn’t be God.

But nothing can stop us, limited as we are, from worshiping him. In fact, worship is the foundational aspect of our human nature – we were created to worship God.

We worship him with heart, mind, soul and body. And there is no obstacle to our coming into his holy Presence since the veil of the temple was torn apart as Jesus died. Through Jesus we come to the Father as his beloved sons and daughters. Jesus’ words before his ascension fill our hearts with love and awe: ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’ (John 20:17). And, as Paul says, ‘…you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children’ (Romans 8:15b-16).

This is the wonder of the Holy Trinity – the love of our faithful Creator, the love of our Saviour, and the Holy Spirit who pours the love of God into our hearts. How great is our Triune God!

Reflect and Respond

Below are some passages from the gospel according to John.

Read these words carefully, thinking about the love and unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Then, read them again, pausing to say thank you for the love that God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, has for you.

You may want to express the worship of your heart in words or silent adoration.

John 14:15-21

If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live you also will live. On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you in me and I in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.

John 17:1-5

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began”

John 17:24

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

Praise

Eternal God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I come to you in worship.

Father God, I praise you for my life and for all your wonderful creation.

Thank you that you love the world so much that you gave your dearly-loved Son to die for our salvation.

Lord Jesus, like Thomas I want to kneel and say: ‘My Lord and my God!’ Thank you that you identified with sinners and became obedient to death – even death on a cross. I praise you, exalted now, and given the Name above every name.

Holy Spirit, I praise you for guiding me, helping me, interpreting the Scriptures for me and leading me into all truth.

To God the Father who loves us and made us accepted in the Beloved,

To God the Son who loves us and loosed us from our sins by his own Blood,

To God the Holy Spirit who loves us and pours the love of God into our hearts,

To the one, holy and immortal God be all honour and glory for time and for eternity. Amen.