How to See God’s Bigness Through a Child’s Eyes
One of my favorite parts of motherhood has to be when my children share funny observations and thoughts. Tucking my four-year-old son into bed one night, I listened as he recounted that day’s adventures. He had visited a museum filled with exotic animals from Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. The museum allows children to walk among the stuffed creatures, seeing them up close. My little guy had the most fantastic day of his life, seeing zebras, elephants, giraffes, lions, deer, alligators, and much more!
But as we unpacked the day, listing the animals seen and thoughts about their colors, fur, or feathers, I asked him, “Who made all those animals?” His standard, almost automatic reply was, of course, “God did.” The conversation returned to his experience as he marveled at standing under the giraffe and walking through his legs.
God is Bigger Than a Giraffe
And then a theological truth slid into place. He abruptly sat in bed and declared, “Wait a minute, momma, God is bigger than a giraffe!” I smiled a little, not understanding the principle in play, and agreed, trying to return to his adventures. But his mind was unpacking something big; he couldn’t leave that moment, and I am so grateful he insisted on staying.
Again, he looked at me with sleepy lids and said, “But Momma, I stood under the giraffe, and he was as tall as the sky! But God is bigger than a giraffe! God is really, really big!”
And in that moment, God became real, not because He was seen, but because He was experienced. The understanding that a God so big could love him filled his little body with awe and wonder as he drifted off to sleep.
Seeing God’s Bigness Up Close
Sometimes, we must stand under the looming, the large, the overwhelming to understand how big God truly is. Sometimes, our automatic reply that we follow Him or believe in Him is just that—a rote answer without the depth of meaning or understanding—until we look up from underneath.
These days, we are standing in such moments. We feel the pressure of parenthood and the worry about finances. We wonder what days will be like for our children. We look at the impending future, the overwhelm of friction and debate, and the schism between joy and despair. It all feels so big. Yet one truth stands above it all—God is bigger than all of this.
He declares His strength and power many times in Scripture, but as I have returned to Timothy’s declaration that God is bigger than a giraffe, I retreat to Isaiah. In Isaiah 40, God rhetorically asks who else has ever measured all the water within the hollow of his hand, determined the amount of dust, or found the weight of all the mountains and hills.
And in Isaiah 40:18, “To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?” Replete with imagery displaying His vast power and sovereignty, Isaiah 40 also highlights God’s intimate love and affection for you and me.
He loves you. He loves me. God, who can measure every bit of water in his hand and sees nations like drops in a full bucket of water, cares deeply for each of us.
Both Big and Intimate
Your way is not hidden from Him, nor is your right disregarded by Him (Isaiah 40:27). Not the hard, the scary, or the painful. Whether it has anything to do with the world’s activities or simply the challenging moments this week of loving your children well and caring for your family, God is bigger yet more intimate than we can ever comprehend.
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, and His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Isaiah 40:28-29, ESV
As we walk in the places that seem challenging and loom large, let us remember the greatness and intimacy of our God. He is our Creator, Savior, and Friend. We can gratefully rest in His presence.
Meet Bethany Kimsey
As a mother to eight children, Bethany Kimsey has seen God radically change her messy motherhood from weary, anxious, and frantic to peaceful, joyful, and triumphant. She helps weary mothers win the battle against worry and fatigue as they understand their identity in Christ and rest in the hope of the Gospel in community with other moms.
As a writer, speaker, and encourager of mothers, she wants to see a generation of mothers who can connect their motherhood to the love of Jesus in real and practical ways so that they can be confident. She recently authored A Warrior Mama’s Prayers journal to help mothers pray intentionally over their children and anchor in gospel truths. This can be purchased at Bethanykimsey.co or on Amazon.
She would love to connect over at her website, bethanykimsey.com, or on The Warrior Mama podcast, found on your favorite podcast platform. You can connect on Instagram or Facebook as well.
Where to find her . . .
- Website
- The Warrior Mama Podcast
- How to Pray For Yourself and Your Children (free prayer guide!)
- God’s truth about my identity (free download!)
- Store (shop warrior motherhood resources!)
- Reset: Anchoring Your Mind in Gospel Truths course
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
