Jump Start # 3710

Psalms 19:1 “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”

One of the fascinating connections between Scripture and nature is their revelation of God. The beginning of Romans state, “…His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made.” Earlier in Psalms we find, “…who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens” (8:1b). Our verse states that the heavens are declaring the work of God’s hands. There are no words. Their speech is not heard. But the eye sees what God has done.

In a recent sermon I explained the enormous vastness of the solar system. The numbers are so large that we can’t appreciate them. For instance, we live in the Milky Way galaxy. Earth to the farthest planet, Neptune, is 2.69 billion miles. It is pretty well understood that there are between 100 billion and 400 billion stars in just the Milky Way.

Because of the Hubble telescope focusing deeper into space, astronomers and Astro physicists have estimated that there are at least 200 billion galaxies, each containing 100 million to over a billion stars. Try multiplying 200 billion with one billion. One scientist tried to explain it this way. Imagine a Cheerio represents one galaxy. We know each galaxy is unique in size and shape. Two hundred billion Cheerios would fill 4,000 standard size in-ground swimming pools. So many galaxies filled with so many stars.

What does the expanse declare? What is it telling us about God?

First, our God is amazing and BIG. We are now seeing things in deep space that no one has ever seen. Your great grandfather never saw what we see. Peter never realized how many stars are up in the sky. And in Psalms 147: 4, we find that God numbers and gives names to all the stars. There are more stars than there are words in the English language.

With all of this we wonder why. Why did God make the universe so large? Why is it that just now we are seeing things through telescopes in space that no one has ever known or seen before? It makes us realize that creation is a reflection of God. All artists have a certain style. You can distinguish a Van Gogh painting from a Picasso. Their works are an extension of their personalities and talents. So is creation a reflection of God.

There is no limit to God. I do not believe mankind will ever reach the end of creation. Which tells us, there are things yet to be discovered. There are things in future generations that we will never know about. And, all of this fits together, works together and is tied together by God.

Second, Psalms eight asks, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him?” It is very easy to feel small and insignificant when one looks at this massive universe. Distances are measured in light-years. The twinkling stars that we see up in the night sky, is light from years ago. It took that long to reach earth.

How easy it is think that “I am a nobody.” But, in this massive creation, you are the one who is made in the image of God. Not the galaxies. Not the stars. You. And, it is you that Jesus came and died for. He didn’t die to save planet earth. He didn’t die to save the moon or the stars. He died for you. And, as massive as this creation is, it is your words that the Lord hears in prayer. It is your hairs that He has numbered. It is your faith that He recognizes.

God didn’t have to all of this. And, it’s not just outer space that we see this. Consider the sounds we hear. Consider the smells. Consider the colors. Did you know that there are 10 million colors. Go into a paint store and ask for “blue.” You’ll be overwhelmed at the thousands of blue options. There are over 11,000 species of butterflies. There are over 23,000 different kinds of beetles. Why? Why not just 64 colors, like in a box of crayons? Why not 4 types of butterflies? Why not just a couple of beetles?

Complex—just like our God. Detailed—just like our God. Beautiful– just like our God.

Third, the expanse declares that there is a divine order to creation. Our earth spins at about 1,000 MPH and tilts at 23 degrees. It is 93 million miles from the sun. A deviation of any of those elements and life would be impossible here. Just happened? Chance? No way! Planned. Calculated. Exact.

And, it’s the same that God has for us. A planned, calculated and exact way to live. His way. And, when we do that, we find the blessings of fellowship and forgiveness. As you think about all the things in the solar system, can you imagine what Heaven will be like?

The expanse is declaring…are you seeing it?

Roger

Jump Start # 3707

Psalms 147:10 “He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.”

Our world is full of fascinating, unusual and interesting things. There are so many things that grab our attention. There are many things that impresses us.

Every year there is a national hotdog eating contest. I never watch it. Stuffing hotdogs in your mouth as fast as you can isn’t something I want to see. But it is impressive to me how many hotdogs they can down. I have been in the home of a former major league baseball player. He had framed all the years of his baseball cards. I have a few of them. But to have your own face on a major league card, that’s impressive. I have sat in some very expensive sports cars, just sat, didn’t drive. Impressive. I’ve walked through some amazing palaces in Europe, impressive. I’ve seen the diamond studded crowns that kings and queens once wore. They are guarded behind glass cases today, but still, after all these years, impressive.

There are so many things that impresses us. Maybe for an anniversary dinner you go to a very expensive restaurant. You couldn’t afford to eat there every night, but on a special occasion you do. Very impressive. Maybe you met someone who got straight A’s all through high school and college. Hard to do. Very impressive. There have been a few preachers through the years who could stand before an audience and quote entire lengthy chapters of the Bible. Impressive.

Our verse today is the opposite of impressive. The strength of a horse, the legs of a man—those could impress us. The speed of a thoroughbred or an athlete who can run the hurdles at blazing speed, catches our attention, but not God’s. God does not delight in the strength of a horse. God does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. Those things do not mean much to the Lord.

The following verse states that the Lord favors those who fear Him and those who wait for His lovingkindness. God is impressed not by the size of your house, but the size of your heart. He cares little about your trust fund, but is interested in how much you trust Him.

Some thoughts:

First, what grabs our interests and attention is often superficial, vain and shallow. We care about how many hotdogs someone can eat, but give little thought to what eats us each day with worry and fear. We get impressed with the shiny, fast, and expensive and can forget it’s the simple things such as kindness and generosity that catches Heaven’s attention.

Second, what often impresses us is something that so few can do. Not many people get a professional baseball card with their likeness on it. Not everyone can afford an expensive sportscar. Few ever live in a palace. Fewer still every have a jeweled crown placed on their heads. But each of us can walk with our Savior. Each of us can have a heart that is changed by the Gospel. Each of us can live righteously. That’s what the Lord is interested in. That’s what is enduring.

The things that impresses Heaven are within are grasp. Each of us can do these things. It’s not for a select few.

Third, we are fascinated with externals, and God is looking at the internals. Character and heart is what impresses God. Jesus marveled, not at the buildings He saw. Not at the expensive chariots that some rode in. Jesus marveled at faith. Faith that was often demonstrated by Gentiles better than His own disciples. Faith that understood that Jesus could do the impossible.

Even spiritually, we get impressed by the size of the crowds or the beauty of a church building. Not Jesus. He notices hearts singing with trust and love, even in small settings. Jesus notices passionate prayers that are uttered in small, run down church buildings. It’s not the settings, the surroundings, the crowd that Jesus notices. It’s faith. Two small copper coins placed in the temple treasury was praised by Jesus. The coins didn’t amount to anything and wouldn’t buy much. But the heart that dropped those two coins in was pure gold. Jesus noticed.

And, maybe, just maybe, when we think about these things, our alignment gets straightened out. The glitter of the world passes away but the glory of the Lord will endure forever.

Thank you, Lord.

Roger