7 Things - Reaching The Heavens

I love to meditate on God's goodness and character reaching as far as the heavens. The Psalmists that wrote these words had never flown in planes or seen camera footage from lofty heights. The concept of being up in the clouds was far beyond anything they could imagine. 

This is a picture of the vastness of God's mercy - beyond anything we can imagine!

Here are 7 things that reach the clouds or the heavens - it is interesting that His mercy is mentioned in so many of these verses, and it is His mercy and glory that go even beyond the heavens:

• God's glory is above the heavens - Ps. 8:1 O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! (Ps. 113:4; 148:13)

• God's judgments are far above - out of sight - Ps. 10:5 His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

• God's faithfulness reaches the clouds - Psalm 36:5 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

• God's truth reaches the clouds - Ps 57:10  ...His mercy reaches to the heavens – His truth to the clouds

• God's mercy reaches above the heavens - Ps. 108:4 For Your mercy is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the clouds. (Ps. 103:11)

• God's wonders are in the heavens - Acts 2:19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

The final one of these seven is the greatest of them all - 

• God's Son, Jesus, is far above all the heaves - Eph. 4:10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.

Psalm 103:11

As high as the heavens are above the earth

that is how vast His mercy is

towards those who fear (worship, obey) Him.

The Lord Rides

Although the Lord is in every place at all times, He chooses to give us the imagery that He rides in the earth. Look at Him as He rides on the clouds, the heavens, and on the wind. He is a demonstration of power and splendor! What a contrast that Jesus rode on a donkey as He made His way into Jerusalem:

The Lord rides across the heavens

Deut. 33:26 There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor.

The Lord rides on the clouds

Ps. 68:4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name YAH, And rejoice before Him.

Is. 19:1 The burden against Egypt. Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.

The Lord rides on the wind

Ps. 68:33 To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.

He rides on the wings of the wind

The Lord rides as a Warrior

Ps. 45:4 (Msg) Strap your sword to your side, warrior! Accept praise! Accept due honor! Ride majestically! Ride triumphantly! Ride on the side of truth! Ride for the righteous meek! “Your instructions are glow-in-the-dark; you shoot sharp arrows Into enemy hearts; the king’s foes lie down in the dust, beaten.

The Lord rides upon Judah

Zech. 10:3 My anger is kindled against the shepherds [who are not true shepherds] and I will punish the goat leaders, for the Lord of hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as His beautiful and majestic horse in the battle.

The Lord rode on a donkey

Jn. 12:15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

Just think about it - the King of kings and Lord of lords - He who rides on the winds and clouds - He who formed the earth and all that is in it with a word from His mouth - came riding into Jerusalem to die for each one of us...riding on a lowly donkey!

The Lord tossed the Egyptian horses and their riders into the sea!

Exodus 15:1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!

Hag. 2:22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots And those who ride in them; The horses and their riders shall come down, Every one by the sword of his brother.

But...

The Lord will cause US to ride on the high hills of the earth...or ride upon nations and religions!

Is. 58:14 Then will you delight yourself in the Lord, and I will make you to ride on the high places (hills) of the earth, and I will feed you with the heritage [promised for you] of Jacob your father; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

The Lord will allow us to join with Him in the destruction of the horse and its rider

Jer. 51:21 With you I will break in pieces the horse and its rider; With you, I will break in pieces the chariot and its rider; (Emphasis mine)

The Lord will deploy supernatural means to demolish the horse and rider

Zech. 12:4 In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 

The Heavens Declare Your Wonders

Psalm 8:4-6 (Message)

I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,

your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings.

Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,

Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? 

Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods,
bright with Eden's dawn light. 

You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, 

repeated to us your Genesis-charge, 

Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild,

Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps.

Ps. 19:1 (NLT)

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 

Ps. 144:3
LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful if him?