Do you know . . .
. . . the approximate number of stars in the sky?
- “Astronomers estimate that the universe could contain up to one septillion stars – that’s a one followed by 24 zeros (1) !”
. . . about the “Goldilocks Zone?”
- That’s what scientists call our perfect position in the galaxy, where Earth doesn’t get too hot or too cold. The distance is “just right” to sustain life (2).
. . . how ocean currents are important to our survival?
- They help regulate Earth’s climate by distributing heat around the globe. They also transport nutrients and oxygen to deep-sea ecosystems (3).
. . . where the tallest mountain is located?
- It’s not Mount Everest—it’s Mauna Kea, part of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount range. It rises 13,800 feet above the Pacific Ocean and extends down to the ocean floor another 19,700 feet, for a total of 33,500 feet—more than a mile higher than Mount Everest (4).
. . . how trees in a forest can stay healthy for centuries without human intervention?
- An underground fungus network connects plants together, allowing for transfer of water and nutrients (5).
I can’t speak for you, but such facts astound me and prompt awed adoration for the Creator of all things.
My amazement expands even further as I read in scripture:
- God knows all those septillion of stars by name (Isaiah 40:26).
- He is the One who set the earth on its [invisible] foundations; it can never be moved (Psalm 104:5).
- God inspired David to include “the paths of the sea” in one of his songs (Psalm 8:8), long before Matthew Maury studied those currents and charted them.
- He covered the earth with enough water to stand above the tallest mountains (Psalm 104:6).
- God has made sure his trees in the deepest forests have been well-watered and nourished since time began (Psalm 104:16).
Photo taken by Paul Saad in the “Cedars of God” nature preserve in Lebanon.
Some trees are well over 1,000 years old, a few even 2,000 and 3,000 years old.
Who is like our God?!
Because of his incomparable power, he could do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Yet his actions are always guided by absolute love, wisdom, and goodness.
But of course, God’s magnificence isn’t limited to his creative genius and immense power to accomplish every good work.
Consider his holiness—his separateness from all else, his perfections above everyone else.
He’s the Only One who:
- can create out of nothing
- has the capacity to rule and sustain the universe
- knows all things, all truth
- can provide eternal life to those who come to him (6)
We see his holiness in:
- the numerous, already-fulfilled prophecies of scripture, brought about with 100% accuracy
- his promises, kept with 100% reliability
- his flawless attributes, at work 100% of the time (7)
Think of all his blessings lavished upon us, the answers to prayer, the difficulties overcome, the miracles bestowed. Your life and mine offer proof of God’s holy faithfulness and lovingkindness.
In fact:
Not since Adam stood up on the earth has God failed a single man or woman who trusted him.
—A. W. Tozer, The Root of the Righteous, 44.
Again, my heart responds with awed adoration.
Yet there’s more.
This astounding, wonderful, and perfect God invites us to be holy too.
“Now why would we want to do that?” the skeptic will ask. “Holiness sounds dull and boring!”
In actuality, the process of becoming holy is the pathway to happiness. Yes it is.
Every time God says, “Don’t,” he’s indicating, “Don’t hurt yourself.” When we choose to sin, we’re choosing to suffer (9).
Now why would we want to do THAT?
Some will argue, “But holiness is so hard to achieve.”
That’s where awed adoration comes in, for the magnificence of God’s deeds and the perfections of his character, just as we’ve done in this post.
Why?
The life of true holiness is rooted in the soil of awed adoration.
—J. I. Packer (quoted by Ann Voskamp in 1000 Gifts, 111).
So let’s plant our roots and grow!
Greater happiness awaits.
Endnotes:
- https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/
- https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/what-is-the-habitable-zone-or-goldilocks-zone/
- https://oceanblueproject.org/ocean-currents-map/
- https://www.mos.org/blog/the-earth-around-us/Why-Hawaii
- https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/underground-mycorrhizal-network
- Hebrews 11:3; Colossians 1:17; 1 John 3:20c; John 3:16
- Isaiah 46:10-11; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 18:30
- James MacDonald, Gripped by the Greatness of God, 36-37.
Image credits: http://www.commonswikimedia.org (2); http://www.flickr (Paul Saad); http://www.picryl.com; http://www.freebibleimages.org; http://www.canva.com.
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