Sometimes we just need to look up

“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing." - (Isaiah 40: 25-26)

It is very easy to become bogged down in the trials of this life and to become so focused on all that is going wrong, that we forget how Big God truly is. This is why I love to look up into the night sky and to be reminded how small I am, and how Mighty God really is.

“If you were to hold out a coin at arm's length, the coin would block out 15 million stars from your view, if your eyes could see with that power.” - Source Unknown.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The stars are God's fingerprints

In preparing for a memorial service this week, I came across a lovely piece of writing about God's creation. It reminded me of the Psalms in some ways - the Psalmists were very good at seeing the glory of God in his creation. 

"The stars are God's fingerprints. The sun is a mere smidgen of His radiance. The moon is to remind us that He doesn't sleep at night. The vastness of space proclaims the infinity of His wisdom, while the sand pebble indicates His thoroughness with the puniest details. The lion hints at His fearlessness, the bear at His power, the hawk at His keen insight. And yet, those possess only a tidbit of God's omnipotence and omnipresence. Every tree points toward heaven; every bird has a song to sing; even every moment of wind goes in some direction. There is nothing chaotic about our beautiful designed world. All creation has a message to tell. It says, "Listen, there is a God. There is a God!" - Brent D. Earles

Thought: When last did you look out for God's fingerprints? 

Psalm 8:3-9

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority—
7 the flocks and the herds
and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.
9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Living in Grace

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As with gladness men of old

As far as hymn writers go, William Chatterton Dix breaks the mould, especially in his home country of Great Britain. Most of the British hymn writers in the nineteenth century were clergymen, but William was not – he was trained in the business world and worked as a manager of a marine insurance company. He is the author of the wonderful Christmas song As with gladness men of old.

I think this is an important reminder for all of us, that it is not just the clergy who are called to share God’s love and the Gospel, but we all carry that privilege. William Dix chose to use his personal encounter with Christ as a motivation to write his own lyrics and music. He was born in Bristol in 1837 and died in Cheddar (Somerset) in 1898.

In a week where we have been excited to see our own Bethlehem star rising (21 December – Jupiter and Saturn), it is fitting that we note the references to the star in this hymn. As a family we went in search of the star on Monday evening and it was so exciting to get a glimpse of it – it reminded me of the original Bethlehem star and the hope that star gave to all of us.

As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold,
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright:
so, most gracious Lord, may we
evermore your splendour see.

 

As with joyful steps they sped
Saviour, to your lowly bed,
there to bend the knee before
you, whom heaven and earth adore:
so with ever-quickening pace
may we seek your throne of grace.

 

As they offered gifts most rare
at your cradle plain and bare,
so may we with holy joy
pure and free from sin's alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to you, our heavenly king.

 

Holy Jesus, every day
keep us in the narrow way,
and when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last:
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds your glory hide.

 

In the heavenly city bright
none shall need created light
you, it’s light, its joy, its crown,
you its sun which goes not down;
there for ever may we sing
alleluias to our king.

Let us follow the light of Christ's love this Christmas.  

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Turning off the Moon? - Lent 32

 

 Is it possible to turn off the light of the Moon?
Well, of course not!
Is it possible to turn off the stars at night?
Nope!
So, why does God say this will happen to Pharaoh?
Because it will get his attention and all other kings will shudder if this would truly happen.

Eugene Peterson adds some delightful word pictures to Ezekiel 32, making us picture God's intended punishment for Pharaoh. I can just imagine the collective gasp as the Moonlight suddenly vanished (almost like load-shedding in South Africa) OR the twinkling stars blinking a few times and then they are no more. It would get our attention no doubt!


 When I blot you out,
    I’ll pull the curtain on the skies
    and shut out the stars.
I’ll throw a cloud across the sun
    and turn off the moonlight.
I’ll turn out every light in the sky above you
    and put your land in the dark.
        Decree of God, the Master.
I’ll shake up everyone worldwide
    when I take you off captive to strange and far-off countries.
I’ll shock people with you.
    Kings will take one look and shudder.
I’ll shake my sword
    and they’ll shake in their boots.
On the day you crash, they’ll tremble,
    thinking, “That could be me!”

Sometimes God allows certain things to happen so that we awake from our slumber. We may even say, "that could be me!" All of this is done so that we come to our senses and return to the grace of God.

Thought:
Despite the heavy undertone in Ezekiel, do you sense that God is drawing you back to himself?

Living in Grace
D3LM3