Transcendent Immanent God
Opening Prayer
We praise You, Lord, for You are awesome in Your holiness and power, and yet closer than the very air we breathe.
Read Psalm 113
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, you his servants;
praise the name of the Lord.
2 Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
8 he seats them with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
When the psalmist sets the activity described in verses 1–3 within the confines of the rising and setting of the sun, he is declaring that all over the planet, somebody somewhere is worshiping its creator. Time zones are irrelevant. The activity is continuous and uninterrupted.
This hymn of praise vividly captures one of the great paradoxes of God’s
character: he is at the same time totally other than, beautifully transcendent, and yet also totally near to us, wonderfully immanent. The psalm is a call to all people everywhere, from the rising of the sun to the
place where it sets, to praise the great name of the Lord, both now and forevermore (1–3). Furthermore, it expounds on why God is worthy to be praised.
The psalmist describes God’s transcendence. He is exalted over all nations and peoples. His glory reaches above the heavens. He is enthroned on high and is so great he has to stoop down to look on the heavens and the earth. Truly, nobody is like the Lord our God, exalted in his holy splendor, far beyond human comprehension (4–6).
However, he is also so very close, so wonderfully immanent, particularly to the poor and the downtrodden. This same glorious God raises the poor from the dust and graciously lifts the needy from the ashes of their broken and burnt lives. He seats them with royalty, reversing their status and fortunes. He even causes the barren woman to be a happy mother of children (remember Hannah from 1 Samuel 1), so great is his proximity to and love for the lowly (7–9).
This is the God we serve, one who is utterly holy and yet at the very same time utterly close. We see this mystery in the incarnation, in the way the eternal God became man and drew near to all humanity. His heart remains close to the broken and the lowly, to give them beauty for ashes, joy for mourning and hope instead of despair.
Apply
We serve a God who is both far and near. The only adequate response is wholehearted worship and praise. Take time to do what the psalm suggests: “praise the Lord”!
Closing prayer
Lord, although You are higher than the tallest mountain and totally self-sufficient, You still have regard for me. I count it a privilege to call You Master and to serve You.
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2025 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.