Deuteronomy 32:3
Ascribe greatness to our God. (NAS)

Today is Sydney's 5th birthday. It's a day when the birthday girl gets to pick her meals, her favorite shows and also, according to her, where she sits in the backseat. It's kind of like a national holiday that's only observed in our home. Of course, you can observe it, too, especially if it gets you the day off from school or work. All in all, it's a good day for laughing, remembering and thinking about the stuff that Sydney brings to our lives: tons of kittens (all with very specific names like "Dark striped kitty" and "Light brown kitty"), funny faces, and every now and then a bit of theology.

As Wendy and I were tucking her in bed one night last week, we talked about how she was a princess and Parker and Will were princes and warriors. She thought that was cool and mentioned that Mommy was the queen. I asked her what that made me and she correctly said the king. We all laughed and then I told her that kings protect queens and princes and princesses from mean people and that I would always do my best to keep my family safe. "And do you know who takes care of Daddy?" "Who," she replied. "The Big King," I told her. She said "oh" in a way that revealed her sense of awe and confusion and so I asked her who the Big King was. A little hesitant, she answered, "Grandpa?"

Here's the takeaway for you and me. As cute as that answer was, it reveals how Sydney defines big. In her world big is "the next step up." I'm her daddy and so my daddy has to be the Big King. We didn't take the time to do a big theology lesson on how God is the Big King and Grandpa is just another little king like me and all the other dads around. We just kissed her goodnight and told her that Grandpa was a king, too, and that God was the Biggest King ever. But in light of our verse, Sydney ascribed greatness to Grandpa, and I want to challenge you with a similar question: what or who do you ascribe greatness to? What is in the place of prominence in your life? Who sits on the throne?

So many times we give the power and authority that belongs to God to other things in our lives. We ascribe greatness to the trials and persecutions we face. The bully on the playground gets the throne and becomes King of the Hill when he shouldn't. Unemployment becomes too big for us to get around and we forget that we have a Big King Who can take care of it.

Don't let your vision of God shrink. Ascribe greatness to Him and watch what He can do for you.

Let the Big King reign.