Tag Archives: Declare

Singing with the King (78) – An Awful Waste of Space

An Awful Waste of Space

night sky

 

From Contact (1997)
Young Ellie:  Dad, do you think there’s people on other planets?
Ted Arroway:  I don’t know, Sparks. But I guess I’d say if it is just us… seems like an awful waste of space.

Well, I got to admit, this is different for me. Starting with a quote from a movie rather than one from the Bible. But, it’s a great way to illustrate how small our thinking really is.

You see, the purpose of the universe is not some place for countless numbers of creatures to hang their hats and call home. No, the purpose of the universe is to declare the glory of God.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. (Psalm 19:1)

Current speculation on the size of the observable universe is some 91 billion light years. As far as what’s beyond, best guess.

But God…

He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. He is Everlasting, without beginning or end. That pretty much makes Him beyond even the unseen stretches of the universe.

One might think those sort of attributes put Him beyond our finite experience and understanding. But that is not the case, for at least two reasons (there are countless more but I desire to keep this short).

We have been made in His image (Imago Dei) we have also been given the ability to know Him.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. (Genesis 1:26)

And Christ came to show us that what God looks like up close and personal; and that we can not only know Him, but have a relationship with Him.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.(John 10:27-30)

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.  Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. (John 14:9-11)

So, God is big, and God is close. The universe is there to show how great His glory is; and we are here to show how close His love is.

 

Singing with the King (45) – Glory

Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; let the LORD be glad in His works. (Psalm 104:31)

Cross and StarsYou ever wonder about the personal pronouns in the Bible? They are there for several reasons (and not just grammatical), and here are a few:

When God uses them, they become a way for us to relate to Him, because they reveal a very personal perspective of a Holy, transcendent God.

They are there because we are largely self-centered and selfish creatures.

They are there to allow us to identify with the authors, so when they say “I”, or “me” or “my” or “mine”, we can find ourselves in “their” shoes, saying or doing the same thing.

But the absence of personal pronouns can be telling. Take Psalm 104. It is a song of God’s glory, and His works, and how all creation declares the same. And we don’t get around to a personal pronoun until verse 33. Why is that?

The psalmist (probably David) is completely caught up in Who God is and What He has done. And when he is finally able to gather himself, what does he do? He worships.

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. (vs. 33)

Notice the extent of this singing and praising. And justifiably so, if we are considering the glory, the grandeur, and the greatness of The One True God.

There’s a scene in Carl Sagan’s movie Contact, where Ellie Arroway’s father talks about the size of the universe. And when he’s done, he states that if we are the only creatures in the universe, then that’s a lot of wasted space. My friend Dr. Ray Bohlin of Probe Ministries made a great comment when we saw the movie, reminding me, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” So it’s not a matter of wasted space. The universe is just doing what it is supposed to be doing. Declaring the glory of God.

Take some time and read Psalm 104. Get caught up in the LORD; join with David and declare the glory of God. Then do it for a lifetime!