Indescribable

I make my living and serve my Lord with words so it is not very often that I have nothing to say. But sometimes I struggle to express in words what my heart longs to say to the Lord; regular terms and phrases seem so mundane. How can they hold the praise of a God who is so awesome, so incomprehensible, so indescribable?

We just can’t capture an infinite God in finite words. The writers of Scripture didn’t mind saying . . .

• “Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)
• “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Romans 11:33)
• “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

In the summer of 2002, I was feeling pretty heavy-hearted about a particular situation related to our church. I had a tune sort of going around in my head for a few months, and I sat down at our piano at home, and just in the little way that I could sort of plink it out. I spent a whole day, and wrote a song to God—a worship song that said, “I can’t figure You out, God. Sometimes, I’ve got to tell you, Lord, I don’t understand what You’re doing. But I’ve come to see that that’s OK.” Deuteronomy 29:29 says:

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which have been revealed belong to us.

Aren’t you glad to know that God is bigger than what you can think or know? Aren’t you glad to know that God has some plans that He couldn’t even explain to you? Out of my own frustration came these words to acknowledge before God. It was so settling for me, that God could be trusted, that He is greater, more infinite, than I could ever understand or know. He is worthy of your highest confidence and is working even when you don’t see it! Wait for Him, and trust Him. You’re going to have a story to tell when you get to the end of this situation—whatever it is—a story of the faithfulness and the grace of God. This situation has been sovereignly appointed for you.

I titled the song, “Indescribable.” All the lyrics are directly from Scripture and draw your heart back to an indescribable, awesome God. You can check them out here. Look each of them up and use them as a means of worship in your time alone with Him.

In a similar expression of worship to God, a friend of mine had the lyrics rendered in calligraphy. The beautiful Indescribable art print now hangs in my living room. You can also see that print right here. This meaningful visual calls my heart to silent worship, heartfelt recognition that God obliterates my capacity to express. He is God, beyond all we could think or say. He’s indescribable.