Our song “My God Is So Great” sounds a lot like bragging. Since bragging is not welcome in polite company, maybe we should pass by this song. But we won’t! Please give it a sing-along listen, then come back and we’ll talk about God and bragging rights.
What is bragging?
I was taught it is not polite to brag because bragging is crude, arrogant, artless self-promotion and probably an exaggeration — so it is not even the truth. “The fish was THIS big”, we brag.
But since the word “brag” shows up in many Bible translations in a more positive way, we should dig deeper and seek to understand what the Lord is saying. We don’t want to miss some good thing He has for us.
The dictionary DOES assign negative meanings to “brag” but it also sheds light on the positive. For example “brag” can mean “to make a claim with proper and justifiable pride”. So I can brag about someone or something and do it with PRIDE that is both PROPER and JUSTIFIABLE.
One way to understand a word better is to look at “what it is NOT”. Some words that mean the opposite of “brag” are “to conceal, hide or be quiet”.
Now we are getting somewhere! Can we imagine ever wanting to make a claim with proper and justifiable pride instead of concealing, hiding or being quiet? A verse from I Peter comes to mind:
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear”
Our bragging rights
Christians have been given tremendous reason for hope. When we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and believed God raised him from the dead this hope became OUR hope. Since it is ours, we can have “proper and justifiable pride” of ownership. Since it is a GIFT we cannot boast as if it were our own works. Instead we can, with humility and respect, brag on our magnificent savior who made our hope possible.
Bragging on the Lord – then and now
We love to brag on on our God. For instance, Psalm 33 gives us these things to brag about:
My God’s mercy is high as the heavens
My God’s faithfulness reaches the clouds
My God’s righteousness is like the great mountains
My God’s judgements are a great deep
My God’s loving kindness is excellent
We love to brag on things our God has promised to do in the future. For instance, Isaiah gives us these bragging points:
My God will swallow up death forever
My God will wipe away the tears from all faces
My God will open the eyes of the blind
My God will unstop the ears of the deaf
My God will enable the lame to leap like the deer
My God will enable the tongue of speechless to shout for joy
Every day we can look for brand new opportunities to brag on God.
If we are breathing today we brag on Him as our Creator.
If we got to school or work safely today we brag on Him as our Protector.
When we face a difficulty we brag on Him as our Deliverer and are confident a breakthrough is on the way.
Want to have some fun? Keep declaring God’s goodness and faithfulness, and watch what He will do on your behalf!
Let this be our motto as braggers of the Lord:
“The LORD has done this [fill in the blank], and it is marvelous in our eyes.” (Psalm 118)
Now I just want to put a big grin on my face and shout and sing “My God is so great!”
God bless you lots!
-Dale R.
LYRICS: My God Is So Great
Traditional
Refrain:
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
There’s nothing my God cannot do! (clap, clap)
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
There’s nothing my God cannot do! (clap, clap)
1. The mountains are His, the rivers are His,
The stars are His handiwork too,
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
There’s nothing my God cannot do! (clap, clap)
2. He made the trees He made the seas
He made the elephants too,
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
There’s nothing my God cannot do! (clap, clap)
3. He’s called us to live for Him ev’ry day
In all we say and we do,
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
There’s nothing my God cannot do! (For you!)
Please share your thoughts
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-Dale R.
First published Feb 12, 2021. Reposted with minor changes to the notes May 3, 2025.
Good evening Mr Dale And Ms Cathy, ……YES WE DO SERVE A MIGHTY AND AMAZING AND AWESOMELY FATHER, SO let’s call it not bragging…”LET’S CALL IT RECOGNIZING “….OUR HEAVENLY FATHER GOD IS BEYOND WORDS…HIS LOVE FOR US EXTENDS BEYOND, BEYOND….HE LOVED US SO MUCH THAT HE SACRIFICE HIMSELF FOR US, “THROUGH HIS WORD, BECAUSE THEIR WASN’T ANYONE OR ANYTHING, THAT COULD SAVE OUR SINFUL Souls, SO HE HAD TO TAKE ON A FLESHLY BODY TO RECONSIDE US , SO THAT WE MIGHT LIVE, “UNCONDITIONAL LOVE”….A LOVE THAT WILL LAST A LIFE TIME….ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS ACCEPT IT WILLINGLY…”FREEWILL ” Mr Dale, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER GOD PLACED HIS WORD IN A FLESHLY BODY, AND HUNGED ON A CROSS TO REDEEM US BACK TO HIM.” “THE WOODEN CROSS” WHICH IS CALLED “THE TREE OF LIFE ” …EVERLASTING LIFE ……..WHICH HE DID FOR US ALL….AND HE DIDN’T STOP THERE HE SENT US A HELPER TO HELP US .IF WE CHOSE TO ACCEPT HIM, AGAIN FREEWILL…The song u sanged and the sermon, is giving. HEAVENLY GLORY TO THE MOST HOLIEST OF HOLY, THE ONE WHO DESERVES OUR, BRAGGING OR RECOGNIZING….Mr Dale and Ms Cathy, please keep running and praising OUR HEAVENLY FATHER GOD, THROUGH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER JESUS, THROUGH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER HOLY SPIRIT, ALL IN ONE BECAUSE ALL IS ONE, “THE FATHER, THE WORD, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT…OUR HEAVENLY FATHER GOD OUR EVERYTHING,
, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER JESUS, THE WORD, AND OUR HEAVENLY FATHER HOLY SPIRIT, WHO IS THE COMFORTOR…….What Can we do WITHOUT EITHER ONE “NOTHING”…Much love and blessings to everyone…And don’t forget, I am running in spirit with u both…🙏💕
Amen! (Liked the elephant walking across the screen.)
Carol, thanks for your note! Glad you liked the elephant — added as a labor of love. That video editing software has enough bells and whistles to tempt a person into clutter, a dangerous thing for someone like me who likes gadgets! God bless you lots — Dale R. 🙂
I love it! Bravo for elephants too! This is an encouragement for us frozen Houstonians right now! We’ll get through this! We might be without power, but He isn’t!
Psalm 37:4
King James Version
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Over the years I have been learning to put my total reliance and trust in the Lord.
I have learned that he never disappoints us in our expectations of him.
In his timing he always delivers on his promises.
Psalm 103:1-2
King James Version
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Placing our complete trust in God’s ability to bring the seemingly impossible to pass gives us peace and comfort as we go through the good, the bad and the ugly of life.
Let’s give him all praise and glory, and honor!
Frank, AMEN! Thanks for sharing. God bless you lots. – D