The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Psalm 19:1

Pastor and author A.W. Tozer famously wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us” (The Knowledge of the Holy).

Theologian John Calvin wrote, “True wisdom consists in two things: Knowledge of God and Knowledge of Self” (The Institutes of the Christian Religion).

We live an a world obsessed with self: self-care, self-expression, self-reliance. It is not difficult for us to look within, focus on how we feel or what we think, and become enamored with ourselves. We do this from birth. The problem with being self-obsessed is that we fail to recognize our limitations and capacities. Regardless of what self help teaches, we cannot save ourselves much less our world. We are powerless when it comes to so much of what goes on around us. We were never intended to be the center of our thoughts.

God is.

When God introduced himself to Moses at the burning bush, Moses asked for his name. God replied, “I AM who I AM” (Exodus 3:14). The Bible is a book of revelation. The most important thing God reveals to us is himself. The Bible reveals that:

• God created all things (Gen. 1:1).
• Nothing is impossible for him (Jeremiah 32:17; Luke 1:37).
• God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18).
• There is no god like God who is holy (Psalm 77:13).
• There is no one or nothing else like God (Psalm 86:8). (This is just a small sample of what the Bible reveals about God).

God transcends creation. He is holy, other, above all things. Yet God is present with his people and came to dwell with mankind (John 1:14).

This post does not do justice to the grandeur, greatness, and glory of God. God is so much more than a value to be considered and practiced. God is not merely a task on our priority list. He is above and beyond what we can think or imagine.

As such, the greater and best thoughts we could ever think are the thoughts and meditations that God has revealed about himself to us.

The motto to memorize is a quote from church history: “God is that, than which nothing greater can be conceived.” – Anselm 

Nothing is more important for our spiritual lives than to recognize God and his greatness, glory, and presence. Our lives only matter and only succeed as they relate to God appropriately. He must be our focus, the singular object of our worship, and the one for whom we live our lives.

Value Takeaways:

• Read and meditate on passages like Genesis 1, Psalm 19, Psalm 23, Acts 4:24-30, and Romans 8.
• Consider the greatness and majesty of God by making a list of what these passages tell you about God.
• Choose one to three observations from these passages and meditate on them.
• Read the Bible daily and ask yourself regarding what you read: “What does this passage teach me about God?”
• Meditate on what the Scripture says about God. Praise him for who he is. Thank him for what he’s done. Humble yourself before his glory.

You will not think anything better or more important today than the true thoughts you think about God.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Photo by Ravi Pinisetti on Unsplash