The Heavens

Nearest star to Earth

Image credit and copyright: David Malin, UK Schmidt Telescope, DSS, AAO

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known.
They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.”
Psalm 19:1-6 NLT

Have you ever wondered at the night sky?
Or marveled at the beauty of the sun at dawn?
For me, when these moments come I feel so small…
It seems so unreal sometimes to look up at the moon, and realize that it is a rock, 3D…miles and miles…and miles away. My mind sometimes rebels.
Light travels at 299,792,458 metres per second (186,000 miles per second).
Ponder a moment.
The nearest star to our sun, Proxima Centauri, is 4.24 light years away or 270,000 times removed from us than our sun! Light from the star that Proxima orbits, Alpha Centauri, takes 4.4 years to reach Earth.
Those are just the neighbors.
And everyone seems to think that God is so small…
God made everything around us to show who He is. His name is written on every star and grain of sand. Observe the world around yourself and ask, “Is the impossible truly possible with Him? Have I made God too small in my mind? Or is He really the Great I AM that He says He is?”

“You are beautiful beyond description, too marvelous for words.
Too wonderful for comprehension, like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depths of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Majesty, enthroned above.
And I stand, I stand in awe of You.
I stand, I stand in awe of You.
Holy God, to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of You.” –I Stand In Awe of You ©Hillsong United

Image of Proxima Centauri is from http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020715.html


Protector

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
Isaiah 43:2 NRSV

“If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up.”
Psalm 27:10 NRSV

“The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.’”
Psalm 91:14-16 NLT

God is our protector
Even when we feel abandoned and alone…
On our own.
But He is ever there,
Holding us, wiping our tears.
If we let Him, He is ready to defend us.
Ready to destroy that which seeks to destroy us.
But in our distress we don’t understand why it sometimes takes a while
Before breakthrough comes…
Or why there is pain and sorrow…in this fallen world…
Yet He never leaves us.
Never.
His tears of empathy are like a Warrior’s battle cry…
Our foes run at the sound of His voice!
Like a mother both enraged and saddened by her children’s wounding,
So our God rises up and justice comes swiftly…
A well-timed and wisely plotted attack, made by a Master General…
In the end, we look up from our troubles and see Him before us,
Sword in hand,
And we suddenly realize that our tormentors are no more…
Such is His love for you and me.


Wisdom’s Cry

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture.
Proverbs 8

Listen as Wisdom calls out!
Hear as understanding raises her voice!
On the hilltop along the road,
she takes her stand at the crossroads.
By the gates at the entrance to the town,
on the road leading in, she cries aloud,
“I call to you, to all of you!
I raise my voice to all people.
You simple people, use good judgment.
You foolish people, show some understanding.
Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.
Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth
and detest every kind of deception.
My advice is wholesome.
There is nothing devious or crooked in it.
My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge.
Choose my instruction rather than silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with it.
“I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.
I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.
All who fear the Lord will hate evil.
Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance,
corruption and perverse speech.
Common sense and success belong to me.
Insight and strength are mine.
Because of me, kings reign,
and rulers make just decrees.
Rulers lead with my help, and nobles make righteous judgments.
“I love all who love me.
Those who search will surely find me.
I have riches and honor,
as well as enduring wealth and justice.
My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold,
my wages better than sterling silver!
I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice.
Those who love me inherit wealth.
I will fill their treasuries.
“The Lord formed me from the beginning,
before he created anything else.
I was appointed in ages past,
at the very first, before the earth began.
I was born before the oceans were created,
before the springs bubbled forth their waters.
Before the mountains were formed,
before the hills, I was born— before he had made the earth and fields
and the first handfuls of soil.
I was there when he established the heavens,
when he drew the horizon on the oceans.
I was there when he set the clouds above,
when he established springs deep in the earth.
I was there when he set the limits of the seas,
so they would not spread beyond their boundaries.
And when he marked off the earth’s foundations,
I was the architect at his side.
I was his constant delight,
rejoicing always in his presence.
And how happy I was with the world he created;
how I rejoiced with the human family!
“And so, my children, listen to me,
for all who follow my ways are joyful.
Listen to my instruction and be wise.
Don’t ignore it.
Joyful are those who listen to me,
watching for me daily at my gates,
waiting for me outside my home!
For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the Lord.
But those who miss me injure themselves.
All who hate me love death.”
NLT