When he observes God’s approving presence in the cloud descend upon the temple he had built, Solomon explodes in praise to God. He begins his praise with a great theological precept that has been often abused by the Israelites to follow and even Christians today. Even though he witnesses God’s approving cloud that settles upon the temple, he knows God is much greater than any cloud. He begins his praise with, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built.”

I like what Max Lucado writes. He says, “Nature is God’s workshop. The sky is his résumé. The universe is his calling card. You want to know who God is? See what he has done. You want to know his power? Take a look at his creation. Curious about his strength? Pay a visit to his home address: 1 Billion Starry Sky Avenue. Want to know his size? Step out into the night and stare at star-light emitted one million years ago and then read 2 Chronicles 2:6: “No one can really build a house for our God. Not even the highest of heavens can hold him.”

Yet we all try to put God in our own mental frameworks. We confine Him and His might to our own meager walls of understanding. We restrict his ability in our prayers by doubting his goodness. We limit his power by our lack of faith. We put God in our own manmade boxes.
 
Max goes on to say, “You don’t need to carry the burden of a lesser god … a god on a shelf, a god in a box, or a god in a bottle. No, you need a God who can place 100 billion stars in our galaxy and 100 billion galaxies in the universe. You need a God who can shape two fists of flesh into 75 to 100 billion nerve cells, each with as many as 10,000 connections to other nerve cells, place it in a skull, and call it a brain. And you need a God who, while so mind-numbingly mighty, can come in the soft of night and touch you with the tenderness of an April snow. You need a Yahweh. And, according to David, you have one. He is your shepherd.”
 
Chuck
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8