The Great Endeavor

For generations, men and women have been moved by the achievements of those before them. History itself is full of great endeavors. Endeavors were made by men like Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who labored with the Corps of Discovery to chart and explore the great west of North America. We are moved by the sacrifices made by the Allied Expeditionary Force on June 6, 1944, an enormous undertaking consisting of four thousand ships, eleven thousand planes, and nearly three million soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors in an effort to put an end to the Nazi war machine. Modern man is encouraged by those who placed men on the moon or went to the vast regions of Antarctica or the extreme circles of the north. To this very day, adventurous souls are inspired by those who set out in such ways. The truth is, we all appreciate great endeavors and those who embraced them.

God’s Word continuously presents his servants engaged in great endeavors. Men like Abraham and Daniel and women like Esther and Ruth all engaged in phenomenal efforts for our Lord. They move and inspire us. However, endeavors are not a thing of the past. God’s Word invites his servants to be presently engaged in such great work as those in the past. As with all endeavors, it is inspiring and motivating—moving in the direction of advancement. It is worthy of every great effort, struggle, and sacrifice. It will impact generations to come and even change the landscape of the present scene. So, what is this great endeavor? It is revealed to us in Psalm 34:3, where David writes,

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!”

Here we have the great endeavor of all God’s servants who labor in his field of service. We first note the practice of the great endeavor. It is to “magnify” — the idea of seeing an object as big, great, or even strong. It is to take a lens as we do with a star in a telescope or distant object. We don’t make the star big. We now see it as big and closer to what it actually is. This is the practice of our great endeavor as God’s servants. The psalmist understands the importance of seeing other things in their greatness. He encourages God’s servants to magnify God so that others may see him as he truly is — magnificent and glorious (Psalm 89:6).

We also observe the focus of this great endeavor. David describes this focus as “the Lord,” the one who will not give his glory to another (Isaiah 48:11). He is the preeminent one of Colossians 1:18, that every true servant of God presents clearly and magnificently to the men and women of this world who need to come to saving faith in him. He is the one we focus on through the lens of Scripture so that we not only present him big, great, and strong but also crisp and clear. We desire to bring every detail, every line that he reveals into view. He is the focus of our great endeavor, and as God's servants, we seek to present him clearly to all.

We then are brought to notice the unity of this great endeavor. In Psalm 34:3, David gives the invitation to his readers to do this with him "together.” It was an “us” thing that they were invited to do “with” him. As with other endeavors in history, God’s servants are not alone, and today others have joined in. We labor together with other believers and with God (1 Corinthians 3:9). One may plant, while another may water, but it is God who gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6) and causes us to be stronger together (Ecclesiastes 4:12). We therefore exult – raise high – praise the name of our Lord, as the psalmist states, with other laborers in his harvest (Psalm 33:1-2).

It is one thing to be moved by the achievements of others. However, it is an entirely different blessing to be engaged in a present or future endeavor that is so great. Great endeavors are not just for men and women of the past. The great endeavor of the psalmist is still being embraced today by God’s servants, and it will continue to be embraced throughout history, even in the beauty of heaven (Revelation 19:5-6). May all God’s servants take part in this great endeavor together of magnifying our great Lord, clearly presenting and exulting him in the presence of those around us.