The Power of X

“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” Psalm 34:3

It all comes down to X. What is X? A reference to algebra or trigonometry? No. X determines the size and place of God in your life. X is knowing what to magnify and how much to magnify it. People who focus on right things and let them rule their lives will reap huge rewards. Those who focus on wrong things and blow them out of proportion will lose every time.

Here’s how it works. The lens power on a camera, microscope or telescope is usually expressed in terms of magnification. If you look at the markings on the lens of your camera, you will find out its power specifications. If the lens can magnify the object to be photographed by ten times, 10X will be written somewhere on the side. If it can magnify it by twenty times, 20X will be inscribed. Very powerful lenses can magnify sub-atomic particles to the point that they can be photographed. They can also enlarge stars and planets light years away that are imperceptible to the unaided eye and register their image on film.

What happens to a magnified image? Nothing! A magnified image does not really change at all. What is different, then? Perception. Magnification only alters the perception of an image. This perceived image is also called a virtual image because it is perceived by the viewer’s brain and cannot be reproduced on a screen.

From a spiritual point of view, whatever you magnify, you perceive as greater, more powerful and more important than other things. Eventually, you end up either worshipping what you magnify or in subjugation to it. Consider the following principles of magnification:

God cannot magnify Himself. Why? Because God is infinite in every one of His attributes. He cannot magnify Himself because he is already omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. By definition, these characteristics of God cannot be increased. Therefore, God’s real image and His virtual image are the same. So? That’s where you and I come into the picture. He leaves it up to us to magnify Him so that our perception of Him gets bigger. Magnifying God means more than just praising Him. It means fixing in our minds the biggest picture or understanding of God that we possibly can.

God magnifies men who do His will. “And the Lord said unto Joshua, ‘This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel , that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.’” Joshua 3:7.

God takes small, weak people and magnifies their image before others so that they seem bigger and stronger to them.

Men who magnify themselves are foolish. Of the antichrist, it is said, “And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart.” Daniel 8:25. All those who magnify themselves think they are bigger than they really are.

Our greatest problems come from magnifying our problems. When your mistakes loom so large in your eyes that you cannot see the blood of Jesus, your X-power is too low. When your enemies seem greater than your God does, you’re looking through the wrong end of the telescope. Remember the spies who went into Kadesh-Barnea? They said, “We be not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we… We saw the giants … and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:31-33. The evil spies reacted to their own perceptions, not to the reality of God’s might and dominion.

If someone were to hold a magnifying glass up to your face, what interesting things might they find? Warts and pimples? Freckles and wrinkles? Your imperfections would leap out at them and overshadow all of your better features. Even so, when we focus on our spiritual warts, they look bigger than God’s wonders. When we concentrate on our hurting, we forget about God’s healing. When we obsess on our weakness, we lose sight of God’s incredible strength. The greatest spiritual lesson we can learn, therefore, is to magnify God and minimize self.

I know…it sounds too simple. But, has an illusionist ever fooled you? Have you ever been totally thrown out of whack by a trick room built to mess with your eyesight and depth of field? That’s what I’m talking about. Our perception of God is invariably too small, too fuzzy or too warped. It is not His reality, but our perception of Him that influences us the most.

Look for God in every situation, and then, when you find Him, magnify Him! This is the true power of X. Got trials? Find God in them and magnify Him. Got blessings? Find God and magnify Him. Got battles? Find God and magnify Him. Got opportunities? Find God and magnify Him. Anytime God is looking too small to you, get a bigger lens. Throw more light on the situation. Get closer to the subject. You will discover God is in there somewhere. When you find Him, magnify Him. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “… with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body.” Philippians 1:20

Discover the power of X. Magnify God.