A Radiant View

As the season begins to change and the days become cooler and shorter, our Humming birds have moved South. I will miss them but have sure and grateful confidence they will return in the Spring. This is the beauty and wisdom of the natural order of life on planet Earth that God has established: it is entirely dependable as long as time continues.

I realize that all of the beauty and majesty of this world is evidence of the majesty and power of God. His handiwork is awesome, and it does me good to see Him in radiant splendor and remember that He not only made the world, and galaxies, and the universe, He made you and me. He breathed life into each one of us, and we are, each one, a unique expression of His will. You and I exist because He imagined us and performed His will to create us.

In the world today, when all around are either seeking to make something of themselves or despairing of ever making something of themselves, the truth is we did not make ourselves. We only live the life we were created for when we believe the One who made us is both loving and holy, and we receive Jesus and the life of grace and truth He offers. The word “holy” means “other than.” That means God is not like us. Rather, He created us in His image. Sin marred that image, and Jesus came to give us the power to be made new: something completely other than what we were when we were dead in our sin. This is, indeed, good news!

As you enter into the new week, take some time to consider how big God is. He is bigger than any thing you are facing. He is bigger than anything anyone and everyone is facing in the entire world. And He changes hearts with the same power and the same ease that set planets and stars in their places. If you are feeling weary, if you are feeling pressed, if you are facing something seemingly impossible, lift your eyes and see the wonder and majesty of the One who loves you and is calling you by name.

Bless the Lord, my soul!
Lord my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak,
Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.
He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters;
He makes the clouds His chariot;
He walks on the wings of the wind;
He makes the winds His messengers,
Flaming fire His ministers.

He established the earth upon its foundations,
So that it will not totter forever and ever.

He sends forth springs in the valleys;
They flow between the mountains;
They give drink to every animal of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds of the sky dwell beside them;
They lift up their voices from among the branches.
He waters the mountains from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.

He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the labor of mankind,
So that they may produce food from the earth,
And wine, which makes a human heart cheerful,
So that he makes his face gleam with oil,
And food, which sustains a human heart.
The trees of the Lord drink their fill,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
Where the birds build their nests,
And the stork, whose home is the juniper trees.

The high mountains are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the rock hyrax.
He made the moon for the seasons;
The sun knows the place of its setting.

Lord, how many are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all;
The earth is full of Your possessions.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works;
He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my praise be pleasing to Him;
As for me, I shall rejoice in the Lord.

(Selected verses from Psalm 104 NASB)

Until next week, beloved, let us declare together: ‘Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.’ (Ephesians 3:20-21 NASB)

Bonus: As you are considering how great God is, this video is one of my all-time favorites. This is the shorter edited version, but if you want to see the full message by Louie Giglio, it’s available on YouTube: How Great Is Our God | Pastor Louie Giglio – YouTube