“Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.”
(Psalm 36:6)
God’s creation operates with breathtaking precision, every element moving in harmony with His divine purpose. From the smallest particle to the vast expanse of the cosmos, nothing exists without intent. Our Creator acts with infinite wisdom and deliberate will, and every action aligns with His grand design, orchestrating all things to fulfill His purpose.
As Jonathan Edwards states, “What is this one great design that God has in view in all his works and dispensations? It is to present to his Son a spouse in perfect glory from amongst sinful, miserable mankind, blessing all that comply with his will in this matter and destroying all his enemies that oppose it, and so to communicate and glorify himself through Jesus Christ, [the] God-man.”[1] This supreme truth urges me to align my walk with God’s ultimate aim: His glory through Christ.
And yet my finite mind often struggles to understand such realities as why the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? And why do hardships persist? And then I read Psalm 36:6 which acknowledges that God’s judgments, vast and unfathomable, are always righteous. Job 9:10 speaks of God’s works as “great things past finding out,” reminding me that my limited perspective cannot fully comprehend His plan, so that I am not left in confusion. God’s Word assures me that His design centers on glorifying Himself and His Son, redeeming a people to reflect His holiness and grace.
This unified purpose shapes every aspect of creation. Like a clock with countless gears, each moving part, every event, every life, contributes to the whole. God’s actions are not random but converge toward one end: His glory. Like rivers and tributaries that feed into a single mighty river, every moment of my life, every choice, every trial, is a stream that will merge into the vast ocean of God’s purpose. My joys, sorrows, and decisions are not isolated; they are part of God’s design to conform me to Christ, to prepare me as part of His bride, the church, for eternal glory. This truth demands that I live intentionally, aligning my will with His.
God has given me the capacity to choose, to reason, and to act, reflecting His own freedom and wisdom, which is both a privilege and a responsibility. My choices matter, because they either align with or resist God’s purpose. Romans 11:36 declares that all things are “of him, and through him, and to him,” pointing to His glory as the ultimate end. And my Christian walk must reflect this, seeking to honor God in every thought, word, and deed, trusting that even when His ways seem mysterious they are always righteous and good.
So the call to align with God’s design is an invitation to participate in His eternal purpose. His righteousness, like great mountains, stands immovable; His judgments, like a great deep, are beyond my full understanding. Yet His preservation of all creation reveals His care and sovereignty … which means that my life, in particular, is not a series of random events but a part of His redemptive plan. I am to trust His wisdom, to surrender my doubts, and to walk in faith, knowing that every step is guided by His unchanging purpose to glorify Himself through His Son.
Contemplations:
- Reflecting on understanding and will. God has granted me the gift of understanding and the freedom to choose by a regenerate heart, which is partially a reflection of His own nature. But do my daily choices honor this gift? I must use my will to align with His design, seeking His glory in every decision, knowing that my actions contribute to His eternal purpose.
- The mystery of divine purpose. God’s judgments are a great deep, beyond my grasp, as Psalm 36:6 declares. I wrestle with questions about suffering, injustice, and unanswered prayers. Yet, His Word assures me that His plan is perfect, centered on His glory. I must trust Him, even when I cannot see the full picture, resting in the truth that His purpose is always good and His righteousness never fails.
- The unity in diversity. The entire universe, including every element in it, serves God’s singular purpose to glorify His Name. This causes me to think about my own life, with all its joys, trials, relationships, and challenges. As part of His creation, each moment of my own life is a thread in God’s tapestry. I must see every experience as part of His greater design, trusting that He weaves all things together for His glory and my good.
- Rivers of purpose. The image of streams merging into a mighty river helps me see how my own thoughts, actions, and feelings are like tributaries, meant to flow toward God’s ultimate purpose. Too often, I let them go off course, driven by my own selfish desires. I must redirect my life’s currents, ensuring that every part of me flows toward glorifying Christ, the center of God’s grand design.
Prayer (Thanksgiving)
Lord, I give You thanks for Your grand design, which orders all things for Your glory. You guide every detail of creation with Your infinite wisdom, and Your sovereign hand weaves every moment, every trial, every joy into a tapestry that declares Your praise. Your purpose never wavers, and Your plan to glorify Your Son through Your redeemed people fills me with praise.
I thank You for the gift of understanding and will, reflections of Your own nature. You have not left me as an inanimate rock or tree, but have given me the freedom to choose and the capacity to know You. I praise You for the evidence of Your existence all around me—the order of creation, the moral law within, the purpose in every cause and effect. These daily witnesses stir my heart to gratitude, reminding me that You are the source of all things, working all for Your eternal purpose.
Your Word, O God, reveals Your unchanging plan, and I am thankful for its truth. Psalm 36:6 declares Your righteousness and care, assuring me that nothing escapes Your notice. I thank You for the assurance that my life is not random but part of Your design to present a bride to Christ. Every stream of my existence—my choices, my struggles, my victories—flows into the river of Your purpose. I praise You for Your faithfulness, which holds me fast even when I cannot see the path ahead.
I am grateful for Your patience with my doubts and questions. Though I struggle to understand Your ways, You remain steadfast, guiding me toward Your glory. Thank You for the promise of Acts 15:18, that all Your works are known from the beginning. This truth anchors me, and I praise You for Your wisdom that far surpasses my own. Your plan to redeem and glorify Yourself through Jesus Christ is my hope, and I thank You for including me in this magnificent purpose.
O Lord, I give You thanks for the privilege of being part of Your design. You could have left me to my own devices, but You called me to walk in Your purpose. I praise You for Your Son, through whom all things hold together, and for the promise of eternal glory with Him. Let my life be a living offering of gratitude, reflecting Your glory in every step.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Psalm 36:6:
Psa. 104:14, Neh. 9:6, Rom. 11:36, Psa. 71:19.
[1] Jonathan Edwards, “Approaching the End of God’s Grand Design,” in Sermons and Discourses, 1743–1758, ed. Wilson H. Kimnach and Harry S. Stout, vol. 25, The Works of Jonathan Edwards (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2006), 116.
