Further reflections on my legacy and more

August is a special month, and I recently posted a blog entry celebrating the eighth month as “What will be Your Legacy Month.” August 11 is especially significant since it relates to another milestone in my life. An event of supreme significance occurred 48 years ago when I was first ordained to the Christian ministry. I am revising and reposting a reflective entry celebrating that occasion.

Ordination is the public recognition of a response of an individual to the call of God to serve. The recognition of this inner prompting to be of greater service may have transpired a considerable time prior to the actual ordination ceremony. I recall as a child being aware of the presence of God, and as I grew older and developed a closer connection to the Bible, I remember reading the passage from Isaiah 6 where the glory of God overwhelms the Prophet, who responds to the question: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us.” Isaiah answers by saying, “Here am I, send me.” This simple response resonated within me for years, and I publicly acknowledged that I had heard and accepted the call in 1974 at age 32.

Such an entry point for service can begin with “the new birth” experience when one accepts Jesus Christ as savior and endeavors to follow in his steps. A child, however, who gratefully and joyfully accepts the blessings of the Father, eventually matures to the point of being about the “Father’s business.” Some consider ordination a kind of “rite of passage” which commences with a higher level of service in ministering to the Body of Christ, expressed in Ephesians 4:11-13:

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

In reflecting upon my ordination ceremony, I also recall a prayer of consecration, the laying on of hands, and a word of prophecy, all of which have been sources of inspiration and direction over the years. I wrote an original psalm inspired by that experience, and I later dedicated it to other fellow servants who continue to respond to God, those who heard His voice and answered

The Call of God

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,
beseech you to walk worthy of the calling
with which you were called,
Ephesians 4:1

The call of God resounds like a repeated name
From the lips of a beloved friend who knows us.
We wait and clearly hear our name and see the flame
Lighting the path to fulfill God’s divine purpose
As we choose to embrace a higher destiny.
This holy calling only God can verify.
We know our ears cannot hear; our eyes cannot see;
Yet from the depths of our hearts, we cannot deny
That we have truly heard and seen what few will know.
We must, therefore, arise and strive to reach the place
Where the mighty rivers of understanding flow,
And we must never doubt God’s purpose and His grace.
In the unbroken line of all those ordained of God,
We stand. Having heard, we rise to heed the call of God.

August 11 is a “double lovely” day since it is also the birthday of my 6-year-old grandson, Kingston Edward Simkins, who answers, in part, the question raised in the monthlong celebration of What will be Your Legacy Month.”

Kingston and Grandpapa love to read together

Kingston Edward Simkins is part of my legacy that I believe will extend for generations to come. The lyrics to “The Blessing,” a powerful benediction by Elevation Worship featuring Kari Jobe and Mark Carney, express my innermost desire:

Legacies lead…Legacies light the way. What will be your legacy?

Although August has no Federal holidays to celebrate, the eighth month offers this provocative designation:  August is “What will be your legacy?” month. Gone-ta-pott.com, the holiday website, offers this definition and elaborates upon the month-long celebration with this comment:

“A legacy is what someone or something is remembered for or what they have left behind that is remembered, revered or has influenced current events and the present day. . . What Will Your Legacy Be Month is a month for people to reflect on their past and present actions and vow to make positive changes that will affect generations. We have to remember the seeds, whether positive or negative, that we plant in our children’s lives. This observance is about making the right choices so our children and their children will make the right choices. Everything we do will grow and reflect our teachings. So teach your children well.”

This inspirational video by FellowshipStories.com also reminds us that “Legacies lead… Legacies light the way. What will be your legacy?”

In thinking about the legacy that I desire to leave, I recall the words of the late Rev. Billy Graham:

“Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”

Eleven years ago, I also composed a personal psalm after reflecting on what I would like for others to remember about me:

When All Is Said and Done

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant;

you were faithful over a few things,

I will make you ruler over many things.

Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Matthew 25:21

When all things of this life on earth are said and done

And all accounts settled, may this be said of me:

He was a good husband, father, and faithful son,

Who sought to serve the Master with integrity.

May God find a branded bondslave who came to learn

Firsthand that to run to serve is life’s highest goal,

Beyond fame, acclaim, wealth, or status one can earn.

That I loved God with all my heart and mind and soul:

A son who practiced obedience as a lifestyle,

Seeking to please the Lord and follow each command,

With an attitude of gratitude all the while,

Giving praise to Christ before whom we all shall stand.

For all those who follow, I leave this legacy,

As the mighty man of faith God called me to be.

Don Moen offers this musical reminder: “When All is Said and Done,”  a capstone to my reflection on the legacy I hope to leave, not only in August but every day I draw breath.

“A fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit” is what we need

My thinking is that we need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit as promised by God, our Father, in Acts 2:17-17

This morning as I began my daily devotional, this thought came to mind: “What we need as 21^st Century believers is a “fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” I also recalled lyrics from my formative years passionately expressed in the traditional hymn: “Spirit of the Living God” :

Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me,
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.

Lucy Adams in  “Song Stories: Celebrate Pentecost with ‘Spirit of the Living God’” offers background information on this popular 20^th Century hymn:

Born in 1890, the composer, Daniel Iverson, a Presbyterian minister, composed the hymn while attending an evangelistic crusade in 1926 in Orlando, Florida. The text from Acts 11:15, “The Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning” inspired Iverson to seek his own Holy Spirit renewal.

After the morning service, he went alone to the nearby First Presbyterian Church. With the great teaching still fresh in his ears and heart, he sat at the piano and prayed. He wanted to express in music his desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. The words and music came quickly. Iverson introduced the song to the campaign and subsequently distributed it for others to sing.

Francis Dixon, in discussing the infilling of the Holy Spirit, refers to some of the lyrics and comments, “We should experience fresh fillings of the Spirit all the way through our Christian experience, for only then can we live joyfully, serve powerfully, and glorify God in all that we think, do, and say.”

George O. Wood explains “Why You Need a Fresh Touch of the Holy Spirit Daily”:

“…The Spirit, in our present challenges, is filling us to every level of capacity. May we be filled at this moment in life with all of God that we can take. May we experience to the deepest level and core of our being the fullness of God that the Spirit makes present!”

The lyrics from that hymn flooded my soul with warm memories of my desire to experience more of the presence of God through the Holy Spirit, and it inspired this original psalm, an expression of my prayer for the world at this time:

“. . . And The Spirit of God Moved. . . .”

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

George Iverson

Traditional Hymn

As the Spirit of God moved upon the water,

As an eagle ascends on high and stirs her nest,

Attentive to the cries of her starving young ones;

As she satisfies her young and then spreads her wings,

So Holy Spirit with a gentle wavering,

Flutter over, move upon us in a new way.

As a gentle dove would hover over her brood,

Cover our souls and saturate our whole being.

As we wait upon you, spread your wings, bear us up

That we might soar to heights above the fowler’s snare.

Renew our strength and refresh our desire to serve.

As you feed us and sustain us, we shall mount up

On eagle’s wings. We shall run and not be weary.

As we look to you, we shall walk and not faint.

We close with the contemporary worship song “Rest on Us” by Maverick City Music with lyrics by Brandon Lake:

 

To follow the way of truth is a choice

In Psalm 119:30 (New King James Version) we find the Verse of the Day for July 21, 2022:

I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.

The Voice Translation renders the verse this way:

I have decided to take the path of faith; I have focused my eyes on Your regulations.

The reference to “the way of truth” brings to mind an earlier blog entry in which I discussed “The Will of God,” using the analogy of the will of God as a road, a path, or a way, looking at the Hebrew word derek, translated “way, road, path, distance, journey, manner.” The word also refers to a direction, manner, habit, way of life, a course of life or mode of action, and a lifestyle.   In “Why Don’t Somebody Help Me Praise the Lord?” a poetic expression of my personal testimony, I refer to “the path of truth”:   Stumbling down the road of life, I was wasting all my youth, Then took a right turn to Jesus Christ; Now I’m walking the path of truth.   Why Don’t Somebody Help Me Praise the Lord?   In a previous post on the Will of God, I spoke of the will of God as the road less traveled, referring to the often-quoted poem by Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken.” Most remarkably, I first committed that poem to memory as a junior in high school, back in the middle of the Twentieth Century. I still know the poem by heart and recognize now more clearly than ever its application to my life at this time:   The Will of God: the Road Less Travelled by I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.   The Road Not Taken —Robert Frost     Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and    pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (New Living Translation)   I begin again, this year of my jubilee. Reflecting on life’s journey, I cannot deny That the will of God is the road less traveled by: To choose to serve, even though having been set free. The straight and narrow way I once again select. I press on, still striving toward the highest good. In this place, we renew our covenant of blood, Reassured that “As for God His way is perfect.” I see clearly with new eyes where our paths have led. In the midst of turbulent times, I remain still, Proving that good and acceptable and perfect will. I look back, waiting in the now, then look ahead. Each day God offers another chance to commence: The choice to do God’s will makes all the difference.   To follow the Will of God is to decide which path we are going to take. Many times it is easier to follow our own path and seek our own way rather than God’s way or God’s will. Like the Psalmist, we should choose to follow the path of truth, taking the “road less traveled by.” As believers we choose to follow that path, “the way, the truth, and the life,” revealed through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, expressed in this musical composition by Pat Barrett:

With God, all things are possible or nothing is impossible

The Verse of the Day for July 11, 2022, comes from Jeremiah 32:17 in the New Living Translation:

“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!

This verse offers encouragement and assurance in the midst of the challenging times in which we live, times described as perilous or difficult to deal with, where the nation and the world seem to be entrapped in a tangled web of impossible situations.

The Verse of the Day also brings to mind two other scriptures that speak of the awesome power of God and His Word. Both say the same thing but in different ways, that nothing is too hard for God.  In one place in the Gospels, Jesus Christ states “. . . with God all things are possible.” In another place, the Word declares, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

The Amplified Bible renders Luke 1:37 in this way:

For with God, nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.

As I acknowledged that the two verses express the same concept but in different ways, I thought of a principle from Geometry: “Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other.” These two verses also inspired this original psalm:

No Matter How You Phrase It

And Jesus looking upon them said,    

With men it is impossible, but not with God:    

for with God, all things are possible

Mark 10:27

For with God, nothing shall be impossible.                                                                                             

Luke 1:37

There is none like God who never fails to come through:

Whether you say “With God all things are possible”

Or say, “With God, nothing shall be impossible.”

No matter how you phrase it, the Word is still true.

As those who observe the times, we wisely surmise

That the Prince of Peace ascended to end all strife,

Leading captive even death to release new life,

Just as from ashes beauty and splendor arise.

We boldly declare the Word of God and assert

The Providence of an all-wise Father who makes

Barrenness to bloom with rivers in the desert.

With the Word of Life, even death itself awakes.

We seek to walk in wisdom and number our days,

Humbly discerning that His ways are not our ways.

The line “Just as from ashes beauty and splendor arise” brings to mind the verse which says, “God gives beauty for ashes.” Did you know that ashes under extreme heat and pressure form gemstones, and that diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and such come from ashes?  You see this when many of the volcanoes erupt, and when they settle and cool, you find beautiful gems at the base.  

In a similar way, watch God turn around what seems like a total disaster. No matter how challenging the situation may appear to be, He can turn it into a magnificent triumph.

The Verse of the Day and the accompanying poem reinforce a similar message that “Anything is Possible,” words also echoed in these vibrant lyrics offered by Bethel Music featuring Dante Bowe:

By reason of strength: Thanking God for my life

With each passing year, my heart overflows with gratitude to God who has blessed me to be alive another year. This year, 2022, is especially meaningful in that I celebrate my eightieth birthday. As is my custom, I compose a poem to celebrate my birthday and give all glory, honor, and praise to my gracious Heavenly Father. Here is my composition for this year.   

A psalm celebration for my Eightieth Birthday

June 17, 2022

By Reason of Strength

 The days of our lives are seventy years;

And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,

 Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;

For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

 Psalm 90:10 (NKJV)

By reason of strength that only comes from the Lord,

I have reached another milestone in my journey,

Sustained by the life-giving power of God’s Word,

As I proclaim great is your faithfulness toward me

And attempt one more time to thank you for my life:

For all you say I am and all I will become.

Praise God  for countless blessings: for my lovely wife

And daughters and their families and heirs still to come

Who will honor and love and serve you all their days.

Though I have known you, may I know you even more,

While  walking in wisdom, still numbering my days

As your favor abounds with greater blessings in store.

God, the Father of all grace, goes to any length

To protect and to provide by reason of strength.

“Dear God” by Smokie Norful captures the essence of what I attempt to express in my song of celebration:

Celebrating National Cancer Survivors Day® on Sunday, June 5

Cancer affects everyone. With nearly seventeen million people living with and beyond cancer in the U.S. today and more than forty-three million cancer survivors, everyone knows someone whose life has been touched by cancer. On Sunday, June 5, 2022, communities around the world will unite to recognize these cancer survivors and to raise awareness of the challenges of cancer survivorship, as part of the 35^th annual National Cancer Survivors Day® Celebration of Life.

In celebration of National Cancer Survivor Day, I am posting an excerpt from Embracing Your Life Sentence: How to Turn Life’s Greatest Tragedies into Your Greatest Triumphs. When diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000, I did not see “a death sentence.” Instead, I saw a “life sentence” that transformed his thinking. The book provides my God-given, holistic strategy to overcome any adversity. Weaving original poetry and Scripture into my God-inspired battle plan, I show how I emerged, as not just a survivor but more than a conqueror.

I have revised and re-posted this entry that focuses on what I call the Word of the Day, which in this case is a survivor. In its most literal sense, the term means “one who survives.” FreeDictionary.com offers this series of definitions of the verb “to survive” as an action verb that has an object to receive its action. In this case, to survive cancer—

1. To live longer than; outlive.

• To live, persist, or remain usable through any adverse situation.

• To cope with (a trauma or setback); persevere after.

The verb comes from Latin—supervivere, combining the prefix super + vīvere, to live.

Having been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000, I have come to understand what it means to be a cancer survivor on a deeply personal level. I recognize a survivor as one who, after encountering an extremely adverse situation, is revived not only to survive but to thrive. Jesus Christ, the ultimate example of a survivor, endured the cross, despising the shame, and after undergoing unimaginable physical abuse, along with the emotional and psychological trauma of the highest degree, arose triumphantly over death itself. Like Christ, I have been revived, not only to survive but to thrive, having been transformed from victim to victor.

The true essence of who I am as a believer in Christ comes from Romans 8:37—”nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us.”

The Amplified Bible puts it this way—

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].

The expression “more than conquerors” in the Greek New Testament comes from the verb hupernikao, a compound word with the prefix huper—a form of the same prefix found in “survive”—meaning over, beyond, above exceed, more than. Today, common expressions of the preposition would say over and above or above and beyond. The stem would be nikao, translated “to conquer, prevail, overcome, overpower, prevail.” Although translated as such, being more than conquerors or super conquerors, is not who we are, but it is what we do, and how we live. We completely and overwhelmingly conqueror in the present tense with continuous action; we prevail mightily every day of our lives.

Each year I reflect with gratitude to God for being alive and being able to cherish another year of life. As is my tradition, I sometimes compose a poem of celebration on my birthday. Most remarkably, Romans 8:37 was the epigraph or introduction for a poem composed on my 74th birthday, expressing my new identity in light of the Word for the Day for Cancer Survivors Day and every day I draw breath.

Embracing Your Life Sentence–More than a Conqueror

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors

and gain an overwhelming victory through Him

who loved us [so much that He died for us].

—Romans 8:37 (AMP)

Embracing Your Life Sentence, more than a conqueror,

Defying the odds as a brave conquistador.

Despite intense pressure, I learn to rest in grace,

More than enough to withstand the daily tests I face,

Not merely to survive but to thrive even more.

 

A mighty warrior, triumphant super victor

 With a cause, prepared not to die but to live for.

 At times I fell behind but fought to keep the pace:

 Embracing Your Life Sentence, more than a conqueror.

 To fulfill all the will of God and then to soar

 To heights sublime where I have never been before.

 Overcomer, bearing light in the darkest place,

  I still fight the good fight, as I finish my race,

  Moving forward, seeking to find the next open door:

  Embracing Your Life Sentence, more than a conqueror.

We close with this powerful reminder of what we are as believers on National Cancer Survivors Day and every day: “More Than Conquerors” by Steven Curtis Chapman

Encourage one another

The word for the day taken from “The Verse of the Day” in Biblegateway.com is “Encourage.”

Once again, I begin my day by looking at today’s  Verse of the Day for May 23, 2022, according to Biblegateway.com:

Romans 15:2 (New Living Translation)

 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.

The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition puts it this way:

Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually].

The Verse of the Day also brought to mind I Thessalonians 5:11 as rendered in the identical versions:

New Living Translation:

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition:

Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing.

These verses inspired me to write words of encouragement, expressed in this original poem:

  Encourage One Another

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT)

.

Don’t stop now—keep on pursuing

Keep seeking His face

Don’t get weary in well-doing

You must keep the pace

Seek and you shall find

The strength to be transformed–

Renewed in the spirit of your mind

Encourage yourself

And encourage one another

Build each other up

Every sister and brother

Speaking the truth, we grow up

Therefore, encourage one another

I found the accompanying video “Encourage one another” which is a compilation of the same verse from I Thessalonians 5:11 and other scriptures and words of encouragement from Kimberly Culpen. May we all be strengthened and encouraged today.

Perfecting the art of patience

Instead of beginning our day with the Word of the Day posted May 19, 2022, on Biblegateway.com, I thought of a previously posted “Quote of the Day,” which we can apply today and every day, especially during these extremely stressful and overwhelmingly tense times in which we live. Brian Adams offers this remarkable statement about the “art of patience” which believers must learn to perfect:

“Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement, and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success.”

As believers, perfecting the art of patience involves learning to wait on the Lord. The closing verses of my favorite psalm come to mind:

Psalm 27:13-14 (NKJV)

I would have lost heart unless I had believed
that I would see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Note the Bible offers this definition of patience, meaning endurance or perseverance, steadfastly bearing up under and remaining faithful while waiting. Patience or perseverance is a fruit of the spirit that should be evident in our lives, as we wait on the Lord.

James 5:11 provides an excellent example of the word for patience translated as a verb and as a noun in a particular individual who embodies the character trait of patient endurance. The New Living Translation offers this rendering containing a familiar phrase that encompasses a character trait most often associated with Job:

¹¹ We give great honor to those who endure suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

The Book of Job is a classic example of the principle of first usage and first spiritual principle, which highlights as particularly important the first time we find a concept in the Bible. Some Bible scholars believe that the first book written was the Book of Job, believed to have been composed by Moses. Job, whom Chuck Swindoll described as a “man of heroic endurance,” was, indeed, a real person, and his story is one of the first demonstrations of spiritual principles, one of the first being that God is “full of compassion and tender mercy” and that he rewards those who demonstrate “patience.” Although we recognize that “Patience is its own reward,” God also rewards patience, as so clearly demonstrated at the end of the Book of Job. Recall Job 42:10:

And the LORD turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends: also, the

LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

The topic of the need for patience in our lives brings to mind a statement by Graham Cooke whose words inspired this poetic response:

A Prayer for Patience

“My suggestion for people in a season of birth or upgrade 

is to write out a prayer for patience and pray it every day.”    

Graham Cooke

For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance,   

so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God,   

and thus, receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.

Hebrews 10:36 (Amplified Bible)

We look back and pause and then look ahead to see

Clearly who God is and who He has called us to be.

We still journey down the road less traveled by

And pray that patience may serve as a trusted ally.

We must say “No” to the pressures of this life

And say “Yes” to the rest God gives, despite the strife.

As we stay our minds on Him, we abide in peace.

When we praise God, works of the enemy decrease.

May we remain and not fall by the wayside as some

But like Job wait until at last, our change shall come.

Patient endurance seems delayed for some reason,

But fruit abounds to those who wait in their season.

We pray that in this time of transition and shift

That we embrace waiting as a wonderful gift.

We close with another reminder from Scripture about patience from Hebrews 10:36-38 (NLT):

³⁶ Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

³⁷ “For in just a little while,
    the Coming One will come and not delay.
³⁸ And my righteous ones will live by faith.
    But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

Karen Clark Sheard and Donnie McClurkin offer a stirring rendition of a song to capture the essence of our discussion on the art of patience: “Wait on the Lord.”

God, who is unsearchable, searches every heart

The Verse of the Day for May 15, 2022, comes from Ecclesiastes 11:5 in the New Living Translation:

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

This verse reminds us that God, the creator of the universe, is far beyond our ability to comprehend. In thinking about this verse, the word “unsearchable” comes to mind, a term uniquely applied to the Lord, God Almighty:

Romans 11:33-36 (NLT) also reveals His incomprehensible nature:

³³ Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

³⁴ For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
    Who knows enough to give him advice?
³⁵ And who has given him so much
    that he needs to pay it back?

³⁶ For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

In the Book of Job and in the Psalms, we find similar sentiments expressed:

Job 5:9 (NLT):

He does great things too marvelous to understand.

He performs countless miracles.

Job 11:7-9 (NLT)                                               

⁷ “Can you solve the mysteries of God?

Can you discover everything about the Almighty?

⁸ Such knowledge is higher than the heavens—

And who are you?

It is deeper than the underworld*—

What do you know?

⁹ It is broader than the earth

And wider than the sea.

The Psalmist also notes the incomprehensible nature of the Creator in Psalm 139:1-6 (NLT)

¹ O Lord, you have examined my heart

And know everything about me.

² You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

³ You see me when I travel

And when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

⁴ You know what I am going to say

Even before I say it, Lord.

⁵ You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

Too great for me to understand!

In describing the ways of God, one of the terms used is “unsearchable” which is also translated “indelineable, marked by being impossible to plot, travel, or trace to the end of, therefore, incomprehensible or impossible to understand.”

Today’s blog post also brings to mind a previous entry focusing on the “Word of the Day” which turned out to be “research,” whose root is “search,” a term related to what God continually does to the human heart.

Research, in its most literal sense, means to “re-search” or to “search again. God, our Father, as the ultimate “Researcher” conducts this grand “research project” whose primary purpose is for the advancement of human knowledge about God, that we might “fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” In the process we discover, interpret, and develop knowledge, which we apply as we grow in our understanding of the Creator and His vast universe. This original psalm centers on “searching” or “trying,” as in examining closely and scrutinizing in detail in order to render some kind of assessment or evaluation. Introducing the work is a section of Scripture from Romans 8:27-28 (NKJV):

27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose

God Searches

Romans 8:27-28

God searches the depths of each soul and probes each heart,

To uncover each motive and extract the pure,

Discarding dross, thus perfecting the refiner’s art.

The word of prophecy stands as even more sure,

The touchstone to measure the essence of all life.

All else shall fail, but the Word shall ever inspire.

This two-edged sword, sharper than a finely honed knife–

Living, powerful, piercing each thought and desire,

Penetrating soul and spirit, joints and marrow–

Probing deepest emotions, dispelling the dark.

Life-giving and powerful, swift as an arrow

That finds its target and that always hits its mark

Reaching its own perfection, to its fullest extent,

The Word of God prospers wherever it is sent.

In thinking about God as “the ultimate researcher,” I also recall Psalm 139 where the Psalmist recognizes that God knows all about the most intricate and delicate complexity of His matchless creation. Spiritually speaking, we can view all of Psalm 139 as an invitation to deepest, divine inspection, as the celebrated psalm closes with this heartfelt request:

Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT} :

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

He who is unsearchable, whose ways are past finding out, searches the hearts of His creation.

We close with Gwen Smith offering a contemporary song of worship “Unsearchable”: