“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” – Psalm 69:30
LEARNING FROM TIMMY AND LASSIE – When I was growing up, everybody loved to watch the TV show: “Lassie,” about the amazing Collie dog, and her young master, Timmy. I loved that Lassie dog, and wanted one just like her. I remember an episode where Timmy was lost in the woods, and was able to start a fire by focusing the hot sun through his magnifying glass on some dry leaves.
I had to try it the very next day. (And so did every other kid on my block who watched the show the night before!) I got some dry leaves together in my backyard, and focused my magnifying glass on them, just like Timmy did, but I was only able to get them to smoke and smolder and I couldn’t actually start a fire. I guess, I spared my parents from another one of my boyhood backyard capers! Afterwards, I tried to focusing the rays of the sun through the magnifying glass on my hand to see if it really created heat. It literally felt like I was burning a hole in my hand. Boy – do I remember that!
MAKING MY MOTHER LAUGH – At home, I was always looking for a laugh, and my mother was always my best audience. I would never lack for getting her laughing when I put on my father’s thick magnifying reading glasses. I would open my eyes as wide as I could and act like Jerry Lewis. My mother always laughed hilariously. (I sure do miss her laughter – since she’s gone to be with the Lord.)
We are called to MAGNIFY GOD. But what does it mean?
Magnify, like the word beautify, purify, etc. speaks of the act of classifying, and making something “more.” To beautify, means to enhance and draw out the deep qualities of a person or thing. It doesn’t change the original, but draws attention to its beauty.
When we magnify God, we draw attention to Him in our lives, and we make Him our focus, while other distractions become blurred. We need more “magnifying” of God in our lives, for many things are able to capture our focus: worries, frustrations, sins, doubts, fears, etc.
Think about binoculars. When we use binoculars, we optically eliminate that which is in the foreground and see clearly that which distant background. Our immediate surroundings are blurred, and our distant subject comes into focus. By focusing on our subject, we are brought in a sense, closer to it.
That’s what happens when we magnify, praise, and worship Christ – we are truly brought closer to Him!
MICROSCOPIC VS. TELESCOPIC MAGNIFICATION
To magnify something in a microscope means to bring clarity to what is seemingly small and insignificant.
To many, the notion of God being at work in our lives seems unimportant and irrelevant. As Christians, it is sometimes difficult to see God at work in the workings of our day to day world. When we focus on Christ, we will be able to see His careful, intentional, orchestrating, of the affairs of our lives. God loves to be involved in the minutia of our world, and His grace invades our lives with His great care. When we are able to see this – we stand amazed.
To magnify something in a telescope means to bring clarity to what is far away and removed.
There are times in life, when God seems distant and uninvolved in the workings of our life. These are moments of trial where we ask, “Where is God?” “I can’t see Him at work in my life.” Like a “Hubble telescope,” prayer, praise and worship – can bring the eternal God into perspective in our lives.
Though God fills the heavens and the universe, when we magnify Him, He is brought into clarity in our lives and situations. The God of the universe is interested in me! We stand in awe upon this revelation!
In a very real way – we magnify God in our reading of His Word, in our worship, and in our fellowship. When we magnify God, our desire to share Him with others becomes greater. When a person has a relationship with the MAGNIFIED Christ, the world takes notice.
“Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together.” – Psalm 34:3
