Looking For God?

A French astronomer speaking to a group of intellects proudly declared, “I’ve swept the universe with my telescope, and I find no God. I’ve searched the skies for years but can find Him nowhere. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that there is no God.”

Following him a humble, but world-renowned violinist came to the stage and said, “Your statement, dear sir, is just as foolish as for me to say, ‘I have searched inside my violin with a microscope to find a musician and I could not find one.’ Because there is music, Sir, there must be a musician.”

 And because there is a creation, he concluded, there must be a Creator!

David declares that God has revealed Himself in and through nature. In nature we learn about His power and greatness and our insignificance and finiteness. As God reveals Himself through Scripture, we learn about His holiness and our sinfulness. As God reveals Himself through our daily experiences, we learn about His grace and graciousness that frees us of our sin and guilt.

We are surrounded by God’s greatness that we see in His many magnificent displays in nature. But the greatest display that we see of God is in His work of love, grace, mercy, salvation and hope. What more evidence do we need to have than our salvation or the healing of a loved one?

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, for not only making Yourself known to us, but for providing our salvation, the answers to our prayers and the hope of being with You. In the Name of Jesus’ Amen.

Scripture For Today:   The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Psalms 19:1

It All Belongs To God

Our Psalmist had a great way of looking at things. “There is the sea vast and spacious,” he observed. Perhaps he was sitting on a beach looking beyond the rolling waves as they crashed on the shore one after another. Maybe he was on a hillside far removed from the water - yet thinking about its various contents and the ships that floated quietly above its depths.

But he also “saw” beneath the water and beyond their endless waves. He was aware that it was “teeming with creatures beyond number - living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.”

The sea - though “vast and spacious” - was not an end in itself. It contained all sizes and shapes of creatures that he could not see nor was able to count. They enjoyed “frolicking” - or playing in a part of His creation that He made just for them.

There also were ships that went “to and fro” that carried people and cargo to distant lands that he could not see. The ocean was not an end in itself, either. With all of its majesty and might and endless movement, it also has its place in God’s creation.

Nothing in God’s creation is an end in itself. “For all things,” Paul said “were created by Him and for Him.” We can look anywhere and everywhere and whatever our eyes see has God’s trademark on it. Everything is signed with His name, for His honor, His glory, for His plan and for His purpose. Especially us. What more can we do for Him?

Prayer: Lord, we are the “crown” of Your creation. We pray that we will do all that we can in Your name for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 104:25, 26There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

Our Wise And Wonderful God

The earth spins around like a top at a speed of about 1,000 miles per hour. This spinning is what makes our days and nights. If it slowed down gradually through the years our days would become so long that the sun would burn our vegetation during the day or freeze all vegetation during the long nights.

The earth tilts to one side as it goes around the sun. It is this tilt that makes the seasons. If it were not tilted 23½ degrees, vapors from the ocean would move north and south, piling up continents of ice.

Most of the time, the moon is about 237,000 miles from the earth. As it revolves around the earth it exerts a “pull.” This “pull” causes tides - the rise and fall of the oceans. If the moon were not at the exact distance it is from the earth the tides would completely overflow the land twice a day.

The earth is a great storage facility. Its resources produce the foods we eat. It contains the fuels we need for heating and transportation. It has the minerals we need for survival hidden beneath its soil. It grows the lumber we need for building homes. Its vegetation purifies the air we breathe by removing various impurities that would suffocate us.

Can all this be the result of an accident? Was there a “big bang” that threw “things” up into the air and when things settled down there were form and function? Or was the Psalmist right when he wrote, “How many are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom You made them all.”

Prayer: It is amazing, Lord, how carefully You planned everything to fit together perfectly to reflect Your wisdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 104:24 How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

Where Did It All Come From?

Years ago a man who had difficulty believing that God created the universe stopped by my brother’s office for a visit. As he was sitting there, he noticed his new electric typewriter. After typing a few lines and watching the little ball swirl around and identify the letters of the alphabet that he wanted, he asked, “Where did this amazing machine come from?”

Remembering that he was an atheist, Michael replied, “Oh, a friend of mine just threw a bunch of bars and bolts, guides and keys, nuts and rollers, screws and springs and some toner stuff into a bucket, shook it for a minute or two, turned it upside down and out came this ‘creation.’”

“O.K., Preacher, I get it,” he admitted. “What you’re telling me is that just as there had to be someone design and put the typewriter together, there must have been Someone to design and put the universe together.”

There are many who argue for or against the existence of God. The Bible, however, does not. It simply states that “God is.” In Psalm 102:25 we read, “In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.” This obviously means that God “was” before anything existed and that the heavens and earth are the work of His hands. Creation is finite and transitory but our God is not. As Peter reminds us “in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

Prayer: We rejoice, Lord, for Your promise that one day we will live with You in the “home of righteousness.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 102:25-26 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.

Searching For God

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God!” Do they really? When the writer looks into the heavens does he really believe that He can actually see God? Does he see an outline of God in a constellation? Are there stars shining somewhere that actually point to God’s eternal residence?

No. This psalm, more than any other, reflects the beauty, splendor, power and handiwork of God. He is speaking of the revelation of God in the world of nature. His belief in God as Creator is not an argument against the theory of evolution. For him, Creation reveals the Lord’s royal majesty, sovereignty, power and design. He simply declares God’s existence and presence and wants to praise Him in worship and wonder.

We see God’s glory each morning when we are awakened by a majestic sunrise that erupts from the darkness of the night. We see His handiwork each time we look into the face of a rose, watch a bird in flight or see the crashing of waves. All of creation clearly and convincingly announces the greatness and glory of God.

This Psalm reveals a God who communicates to us through the majesty of His creation. The fact that He speaks openly to us through the work of His hands is a gracious expression of His love and His desire for us to know and worship Him. Although sin has attempted to hide His glory it is still with us and cannot be denied!

Prayer: How great You are, O Lord, our Creator and Redeemer, our source of hope and eternal life. We thank You for our salvation and making Yourself known to us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Looking For God?

A French astronomer speaking to a group of intellects proudly declared, “I’ve swept the universe with my telescope and I find no God. I’ve searched the skies for years but can find Him nowhere. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that there is no God.”

Following him a humble, but world renowned violinist came to the stage and said, “Your statement, dear sir, is just as foolish as for me to say, ‘I have searched inside my violin with a microscope to find a musician and I could not find one.’ Because there is music, Sir, there must be a musician.”

And because there is a creation, he concluded, there must be a Creator!

David declares that God has revealed Himself in and through nature. In nature we learn about His power and greatness and our insignificance and finiteness. As God reveals Himself through Scripture, we learn about His holiness and our sinfulness. As God reveals Himself through our daily experiences, we learn about His grace and goodness that frees us of our sin and guilt. 

We are surrounded by God’s greatness that we see in His many magnificent displays in nature, deeds of kindness and expressions of love. But the greatest display that we see of God is in His work of love, grace, mercy, salvation and hope. What more evidence do we need to have than our salvation, the healing of a loved one or the hope He plants in our hearts?

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for not only making Yourself known to us, but for providing our salvation, the answers to our prayers and the hope of being with You. In the Name of Jesus’ Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

A Better World

A BETTER WORLD

One day the Abbotts were watching the morning news. After observing one tragic event after another, Jon turned to his wife and said, “You know, I could make a better world than this one.”

Turning to him she politely said, “Why don’t you?”

We read in Genesis that God “looked over all that He made, and He saw that it was excellent in every way.” Every small detail that God brought into existence was the way He intended it to be – excellent. From placing light in the sky and fish in the sea; land for farmers to grow crops and people to enjoy; and the sun and moon and stars to govern days and nights and seasons; and fish and birds and animals for man’s enjoyment, use and nourishment – even men and women were created without flaw. It was all perfect.

But then through man – the triumph of His creation – sin entered the world and all that was the way He wanted it to be was destroyed. When Satan entered God’s creation he brought with him disappointment, destruction and death.
Any good in us or in the world is of God. He is the only source of light and life, grace and goodness, peace and purity. And it is only as we let God through Christ, Who is Lord, rule and reign in our lives that we can become good and do good for God and reclaim His work in His world.

Christ in us, the hope of glory.

Prayer: Help us, Father, do Your work in Your world as we surrender our lives to Your will. May we make the world better through Your Son, our Savior. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day.