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Sit down with me as we think through some tough topics in a reflective way and examine some of the difficult issues that can trouble followers of Christ. My hope is that you’ll always come away with more to think about…
RBC Ministries
- Who Will the President Pardon?
- What Does it Mean to Live by Faith?
- Doing Ministry in a Business-like Way?
- What Matters Now
- BC and AD
- Sodom and the Rest of the Story
- Didn't Paul Say, All Things Are Lawful?
- What Do Evangelicals Really Want?
- Messianics, Law, and Grace
- Jesus but not Paul?
- Have You Checked Out wonderofcreation.org?
- Vote today for. . .
- This Election and Emerging Churches
- A Conversation About Faith and Economic Uncertainty continued…
- Another Way to Look at Emerging Churches
- Life’s Surprises November 19, 2008No one watching Britain’s Got Talent (a popular televised talent show) expected much when mobile phone salesman Paul Potts took the stage. The judges looked skeptically at one another when the nervous, unassuming, ordinary-looking chap announced he would . . .
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Our Daily Bread
Galaxies, Atoms, and Hair Counts
Posted by Mart De Haan
July 30th, 2008
Filed in God and His Ways, Ideas to think about
Astronomers tell us that our galaxy is home not only to our own sun and its family of planets, but to billions of other stars. They further explain that our disk-shaped galaxy is about 100,000 light-years wide and about 2,000 light-years thick. Even more amazing is their claim that this “cosmic disk” (itself made up of billions of stars) is only one of billions of galaxies known to exist in the universe.
Seems to me that thinking about the unfathomable expanse of such a cosmos should cause me to praise its Creator. But I have other emotions. For the moment at least, I find little comfort in a God whose creation is measured in light-years and billions of galaxies–each of which is made up of billions of stars.
Don’t get me wrong. I want to believe God is greater than his creation. If he wasn’t, we might be riding a physical world or universe that is spinning out of control.
But what some see through a telescope doesn’t warm me to God until I also think about what others have seen through a microscope. Through a microscope we see that the God of Creation is great enough to give unlimited attention to the nano-details of life.
The inexpressible systems and details of microscopic life allow me to find great comfort and credibility in the God of little things who reassures us that the hairs of our head are all numbered (Matt. 10:29-31), that a sparrow doesn’t fall to the ground unnoticed, and that we are of much more value to Him than many birds.
Yet, as I think about the Lord of little things, my mind still goes places that unnerve me. I sense that in our Creator’s attention to detail, he ceases to be safe. Jesus said that we will have to give account for every careless word we have spoken (Matt. 12:36). King David said God not only knows when we stand up and when we sit down, but also what we are thinking (Psalm 139). Solomon said that on a final day of judgment God will examine the secret motives of our heart (Eccl. 12:13-14).
Once again, my heart cools– until I remember the cross. It is at “at the foot of” that first century Roman rack of execution that my heart finally seems to find rest and wholehearted praise. At Calvary, I sense the immeasurable love of the God of the galaxies, the One who counts the hairs of my head and the steps of my feet. At Calvary, I find myself gratefully overwhelmed by the price that it took for Him to pay for the least and worst of my sins, to buy my salvation, and to call me into His undeserved kindness. At Calvary, the God who formed the galaxies becomes the God who loves me-as much as I need to be loved. And for that I want to praise Him. Now… and forever . . .
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July 31st, 2008 at 2:05 am
God cannot be contained in our minds, it is impossible to the know the depth and length of His love for us and His creation. To know all these things about our universe, and yet God knows all about each one of us. Seems mighty impossible but I’m glad he does.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:12 am
And don’t forget the 6 or 7 other dimensions that physists are zeroing in on. Of course, once you wrap your head around the idea of an infinite universe existing for eternity anything goes. What an awesome God.
July 31st, 2008 at 8:35 am
What perfect timing! I am halfway through “The Case for a Creator” by Lee Strobel. I’ve been a believer since I was a child, but this book sheds so much more light on things I had not considered before. Our God truly is an awesome God that He should care for us in the minutest details of life!
July 31st, 2008 at 9:07 am
To give you a sense of perspective, reduce our sun to the size of an orange and the earth will become a size of grain of sand three feet away from the orange. Pluto will be 2 miles away and the next galaxy is 1000 miles away. So here we are, a mere spec on a grain of sand that could be so easily forgotten or ignore yet we are the most cherished of God’s possession. So cherished that He sent us His Son to keep us within His folds if we just believe in Him. Praise God!
July 31st, 2008 at 10:27 am
All things are possible with God. I know that He is unfathomable to me, but when I ponder the universe both the cosmos and the microorganisms along with the molecules, atoms and quarks, et. al., I too get overwhelmed. However, like you I find comfort at the foot of the cross where Jesus gave all for us that we may have salvation. Our God is an awesome God indeed.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:34 am
Contemplating the vastness of our galaxie and universe makes me feel insignificant, but then I remember that Jesus loves me, sinful me, gave Himself for me on Calvary, little insignificant puny me, and that takes all that insignificance away. What a Savior!
July 31st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
“…God, who gives life to all… can never die and He lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach Him. No human eye has ever seen Him, nor ever will…” (1Tim 6: 13, 16)
Peering into the telescope or the microscope will only leave us cross-eyed H-)… Thankfully, we have another set of lenses- the Word of God, which not only magnifies our hidden sins but also helps us discover that beyond all the apparent nothingness of human existence, God gives significance to the most insignificant life. He personally proved His “so great love” by revealing Himself in Jesus Christ.
The cool thing is that it is neither in the vastness of the Universe that stretches beyond the visible range of human eye nor in the minute nano (now it is the femto!) details of His invisible creation …but it is only by ‘faith’ God can be known by those who believe in Him. If we keep silent then the stones will burst out in praise (Luke 19:40)!
July 31st, 2008 at 5:58 pm
When we have thoughts that are not pleasing to Him, He already new what they were going to be and still went to the Cross. Then when I think of how He forgives and forgets as far is the east from the west, knowing how vast His creation is, I am humbled at that kind of forgiveness. That kind of Love is greater than anything I can ever imagine or even able to wrap my arms around.
You know He even felt that for us through the OT cause all He ever asked of us was to have Him as our Sole Provider and to show mercy to those around us yet we still looked to everything else but Him. Our love has conditions that is why we do not understand His Love.
July 31st, 2008 at 9:54 pm
God is indeed an awesome God!
This topic makes my heart so much greatful of how special I am to God. The complexity of our wholebeing suggests our total dependency to our Designer and Creator. And whatever repair and restoration is needed, He is just and willing to do it. Because He cares for us, because He loves us….more than anything else in this galaxy!