Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Simple Song - Unfathomable God// pt. 6 Story in the Sky

There is little before the eye that shrinks humanity into as much insignificance as does the sky. Space has been explored, yes, by humans. But the start or end of it’s span? How can something comprehend something that is bigger than itself?

The star of the earth, whose “going forth is from the end of heaven” (Psalm 19:6), is not a grapefruit sized burning ball. Its radius is 109 X the earth. The galaxy in which earth orbits, the Milky Way, is home to at least 100 billion stars. That’s speaking conservatively. The number could in fact be as large as 400 billion. One of our neighbors, the Andromeda galaxy is estimated to contain 1 trillion stars. 

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handywork. Psalm 19:1. 


Statistically, earth is non-existent in this eternality of space. Humanity? Well, we are nothingness: a tiny dot, on a tiny planet, that is not even there mathematically. 

But, the God who is bigger than space, who knows it’s span and can count it’s stars, He is Immanuel—God with us. From the greatest knowledge, to the smallest iota, we are known by Him whose heart is infinite love. Far beyond the end of space, from everlasting to everlasting, the love of God continues in richest glory. Into the deepest and darkest of places, smaller than the smallest of numbers, He has sent His love. Such is His heart toward you. 

Some of us learn best by grasping, touching, manipulating. Let me tell you, space cannot be grasped, but the heart of God is broader still. Of course, there are also those that learn by seeing, but prey tell: how do you see the start of something beyond the power of human eyes to pierce? Telescopes only get you so far. Lastly, there is the auditory group who find listening and speaking to be the best route to comprehension. At first, they would seem to have to the greatest chance at apprehending the sky, and the sum of God’s love. Unfortunately however, language is silenced to what knowledge has not attained. Eternity would cease before the love of God would end.

This is the story in the sky. 

My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty,
There’s nothing my God cannot do.
My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty,
There’s nothing my God cannot do.

The mountains are His, the valleys are His… 

                        …the skies are His handywork too.

My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty,
There’s nothing my God cannot do… 


For you!


Saturday, February 1, 2014

Simple Song - Unfathomable God// pt. 5 Valley of Victory


There’s something about being in a valley. Everything else is uphill. Valleys have the tendency to keep drawing you downward too. No matter that a valley floor leads to a valley side, which does actually lead to a mountaintop. The valley is like quicksand. Lofty heights are obliterated by dense green forest. Azure blue sky is textured with needle studded silhouettes. The trail is dark. The eyes strain to see it. Shadows come quickly and leave slowly. Every cracking branch is magnified into some great big hungry creature, seeking whomsoever it may devour. 

•  •  •  •  •  •  •

He had been to the top. He had seen that the mountains belonged to God, but this was something else. Mile after mile he ran. Just to get somewhere, anywhere, perhaps nowhere. Nowhere where his enemies would follow. 

So he runs down to the valley of discouragement. Hungry, exhausted, afraid. He presses on, but this leads him only to a deeper basin: self-pity. 

Having seen the glory of God displayed in such magnificent grandeur upon Mt. Carmel, Elijah should have known that God had not left His throne. But the lesson is for us. 

We all have days after a mountaintop. The trail continues beyond each peak, but while we have the option of plunging to the lowest low, we don’t have to do that. There is a higher plain. A plain found through faith, prayer, and work. 

Remember that there was a valley before victory at Ai. That place of earlier defeat and discouragement was still to be conquered, and of all things, Israel had to march through a valley to get there. Talk about daunting. Notice however, that victory is not gained by evading all valleys. As the Psalmist said, Yea, though I walk through the valley…
            …I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me… 


Elijah was not loved less of heaven when he felt brokenhearted and rejected by men and God, then when God sent fire from above in answer to his very own prayer on Mt. Carmel. The mountains belong to God, but so do the valleys. 

Perhaps you find yourself in a valley today. Maybe it plunges beneath the valley of victory. Perhaps it’s a valley of discouragement or defeat. Or perhaps it’s a valley of test and trial. 


Take heart. You are not loved less. With Christ, a valley is a place of victory, and a place of peace. If God led you here, His dream is that you conquer Ai. If, like Elijah, your pit is despair, God’s longing is that you leave it in the arms of faith. The victory is in getting up, and going back to work. We can’t conquer Ai, or climb out of self-pity with finite arms. We need help. We need a great.. strong.. mighty.. God.. 

      …a God who rules the valleys too.