Focus: I'm Becoming What He Has Made Me

Text: Ps.18:35

"Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and THY GENTLENESS HATH MADE ME GREAT."

The psalmist acknowledges that God shields and upholds him. He is safe in God's hands. In God salvation is guaranteed. In God we find protection and preservation. God is the defense of the believer. We need nothing that God does not have in abundance to supply. We are safe in His hands and secure behind His shield.

It is interesting to see how the last part of our text is differently translated. The Message says, "You cleared the ground under me so my footing was firm." The full text of The Passion Translation says, "You empower me for victory with your wraparound presence. Your power within makes me strong to subdue. By stooping down in gentleness, you made me great!" The CEV says, "And by coming to help me, you have made me famous." The Amplified Version says, "Your gentleness (your gracious response when I pray) makes me great." I believe the reason behind this translation is because the Hebrew word for 'gentleness' is 'anvah,' which stems from 'anu,' meaning 'to respond.' Hence the translation: "your gracious response when I pray." The Chaldee paraphrase says, "Thy word hath increased me." Some other translations have, "Thy goodness," "Thy condescension," "Thy discipline," "Thy chastising," "Thy humility," "Thy help," "Thy providence," "Thy fatherly correction," "With thy meekness thou hast multiplied me," and "Thy lowliness." Putting all the translations together, you can see that what is making us great is the 'beingness' and 'doings' of God.

We 'are' because God 'is.' We are made by God. We are His offsprings. We are the apple of His eyes, His royal priesthood, His purchased possession, His witnesses, His vessels of honor, His church, His body, and the list goes on. It is by God that we are defined.

Christ's investment in our lives has lifted us to a position of strength and significance. He became poor for us to become rich. He died for us to live. He became the son of man for us to become sons of God. He rose from the dead to give us a new existence and a fresh start. He condescended to our level in order to take us to His level. From being in the form of God He stooped down to dying the death of a criminal for our sake. Simply put, He took our place to give His place. He has restored our humanity, our sanity, our sanctity, our strength, our destiny, and our dignity. Because of Him we have passed from death to life and ascended from the pit of hell to the height of heaven. He has taken away our sorrow and given us a song of salvation and joy. The apostle Paul declares, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1Cor.15:10). In 1Cor.4:7, Paul inquires, "For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?"

All we have comes from the Lord, and we are unique individuals, courtesy of Jesus Christ.

The word 'great' which the psalmist uses is 'rabah' in Hebrew, and it refers to that which is much, huge, numerous, increased or multiplied. It speaks of abundance and enlargement. We have become 'many' because of God's activity in our lives. His seed in us is bearing fruit and multiplying. His word is growing, increasing, multiplying and prevailing in us. God says to Israel, "Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: FOR I called HIM ALONE, and BLESSED him, and INCREASED him" (Isa.51:2). Wow. That is awesome! Interestingly, the word 'increased' is 'rabah' in Hebrew, the same as our word 'great.' Yes, God sets the solitary in families! He enlarges our coasts and expands our spiritual, social and commercial spaces. He multiplies His grace upon our lives and ministries.

He blesses us beyond measure. We are enriched and surrounded by His multitude of mercies. From His fullness we are receiving grace after grace and blessing after blessing.

His name is Emmanuel, which means, God among us. He lived among men, and that is greatness for us. It means that we are fortunate and privileged to have Him with us. That is the Sovereign among His subjects. He has done us great honor by His presence. His 'beingness' and 'doings' have given us significance. We derive our greatness from who and what He is, and by what He says and does. By His fatherly corrections and discipline He makes us great. He clears the ground and ensures that we have a firm footing and a steady step toward His goal of glory.

Psalm 8 is a good illustration of our text and the phrase under consideration. The psalmist says, "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained. WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF HIM, and the son of man that You visit him?…YOU HAVE MADE HIM TO HAVE DOMINION OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET" (Ps.8:3-4,6). That is our greatness; God made it possible. He magnified the man He made. God stooped to make us, and in His condescension He dignified us. The Lord Jesus Christ says to us, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am MEEK and LOWLY in heart…" His majesty and might are wrapped in His meekness and lowliness.

By identifying and associating with us He imparted His honor to us. The hand that made us also honored us. Are you becoming what He has made you? Make the effort. Work at it. Yield yourself to the Lord. You are blessed and beautified by the Lord. Keep becoming the best version of yourself. Do valiantly in the name of the Lord. Paul says, "Unto me, who am LESS than the LEAST of all saints, is THIS GRACE given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the UNSEARCHABLE RICHES of Christ" (Eph.3:8). That's humility and honor in holy wedlock. Paul the least entrusted with great grace. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter