Today's
scripture: Psalm 19:4b-6
Yesterday, I wrote about nighttime skies full of stars. Today's verses bring us
to the sky at day.
I think the existence of the sun and its precise placement is one of the
greatest testaments to a Creator. I've read that if the sun were in any other
place than its exact position, life on the earth would not be sustainable. I'm
not a scientist, so I visited The
Institute for Creation Research's website. In language I don't fully
understand (it's been many, many
moons since I took a science class!), the ICR states:
The
spiral-shaped galaxy in which the earth is located is called the Milky
Way. The spiraling arms and center of this galaxy contain many stars set close
together, giving off its characteristic brightness.
Some stars explode
into supernovas, causing deadly radiation to flow through nearby stars and
planets.
The center and arms of
galaxies are flooded with high amounts of radiation. Most stars are located in
places with too much harmful energy for life.
Our solar system is
located about two-thirds of the way out toward the edge of the Milky Way, where
we are least likely to suffer collisions with other stars. Most of the stars in
our galaxy are in the larger spiral arms or in the center. Because there are few
stars near us, there is a low amount of radiation surrounding our solar system
and we can observe the rest of the universe and our own galaxy much better.
So, when we look toward the sun (not at it because that's not good for our
eyes!), we can remember yet again the awesomeness of our Creator God.
Today's
scripture: Psalm 19:1-4a
We live in an amazing, amazing world. So much beauty. So much diversity.
My husband and I love to travel, and one way we especially love is taking road
trips. We've traveled up and down the west coast several times. We've headed
east through Arizona and New Mexico, and up into Utah. We even flew into
Anchorage last year and then took a road trip north to Denali and south to
Seward.
We've enjoyed cruises that took us to eastern Canada and islands in the
Caribbean, and when I was younger, I traveled to Europe and the South Pacific.
Every where I've had the privilege to travel, I've marveled at the awesome
beauty of this planet. Snow-capped mountains. Raging rivers. Powerful oceans.
Mysterious deserts.
Every place so different and unique.
One thing I really love is being out in the country away from city lights. I love
looking up and seeing an expanse of sky full of stars. I may not be able to
pick out one constellation from another, but there is something both majestic
and reverent when it is quiet and all I can see are stars upon stars. In those
moments, I truly feel like the "heavens [are] declar[ing] the glory of God
..."
His creation is awesome. This universe we live in is a testimony to His
greatness and creativity.
So we too can declare His glory and delight in His handiwork.
Today's scripture: Psalm 111:2-4a
Yesterday as I was driving to do some errands, I was blessed by the sight of majestic
mountains, which I don't often see clearly, in the distance. Later, I glanced
out into my backyard and had a splash of joy, watching hummingbirds flitting about. Still later, I looked into the
brown eyes of my sweet lab, and my heart was touched.
I couldn’t help but be in awe of God’s creation, and I thought to myself, How can anyone truly deny the existence
of—at the very least—an Intelligent Designer? To think that all of this
came from some kind of big bang that led to plant life and animal life. To
think humanity developed from a single cell.
It makes no sense to me, and frankly takes a lot of faith.
What does make sense is that a loving, creative, glorious God created this
world and all that’s in it. So much of what He created, He did so for our
pleasure. Those tiny birds and majestic
mountains and my unconditionally loving pup … those things that bring us so much
joy …
Just to make us smile …
I’m reminded of a line from a Point of Grace song, “God’s Green Earth”:
On God’s Green Earth
If every color was the same
And every child had just one name
There’d be no beauty for each of us to claim …
What an amazing, loving, creative God we serve!
