“Who is like the Lord our God, the One who is enthroned on high, who stoops to look down on the heavens and the earth.” (Psalm 113:5-6 NIV)
God reigns far above us. He functions on a higher plane of existence. There is, quite literally, no one beside Him. Lest we forget, the Word reminds us: He stoops to be near us. The idea of God stooping down to take a better look at us indicates the level of humility we should possess. He bends down just to get close.
Yesterday I boarded a Boing 747 and soared above the clouds. I am not one to take aisle seat or close the window. Nope, I gawk all the way up and all the way down; mesmerized by the patchwork fields and arterial rivers and varied cloud formations. It is a tremendous privilege to fly far above the earth and get a glimpse of humanity from God’s perspective.
He stoops down to our dirty, fallen planet so we can come near and then, He lifts us up. How He has cultivated the grace to love and forgive us is utterly beyond my understanding.
“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them with princes, with the princes of His people.’ (Psalm 113:7 NIV)
It still floors me to think about the God of the universe making room at His table and building an addition on to His forever home to accommodate the poor and pitiful likes of me and you. And yet He does. And all that invitation makes me bow even lower, blown away that He would see fit to pull us so close.
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10 NIV)
Lord, thank You for stooping to include humanity in Your plan. Please remind us of our humility in the face of Your glory. Unpuff us, Lord. Shrink us down to size as we revel in Your awesome nature. Amen.