“Deep within the universe, inside a large spiral galaxy, hidden among its billions stars, there exists a dwarf star named Sol. It is a fiery furnace in the center of a beautiful solar system … a solar system with eight amazing planets, five dwarf planets, 176 moons and billions of comets and asteroids. A place where a small blue planet may be the most special world in all universe.”
These words accompanied the most compelling four-minute video that I have watched in a long, long time. The production, posted on the Internet to introduce our solar system to elementary students, showed videos and still pictures of our galaxy that made my heart skip a beat. The music was moving. The words, gripping. My younger daughter sat on my lap, eyes fixed on the video. My eyes filled with tears - God’s magnificence can become overwhelming when you see the universe from the lenses of a potent telescope. I was reminded of the perfection of it all, as celestial bodies hang perfectly in space, separated not an inch farther than necessary in order to keep our solar system balanced for the sustenance of life on our planet. Many people become more skeptical when contemplating the stars. I personally become ever more convinced that there has to be a God who designed it all.
As I pondered about the vastness of creation, images of things that are currently happening in this tiny, blue planet of ours started running across my mind. The horror of ISIS across the sea … senseless riots in our own backyard … the Supreme Court ruling on the redefinition of marriage. We live in a world that is permeated with anger, lust and selfishness. We think our own troubles to be the center of the universe, whereas in truth, even every major issue that this world is currently facing pales in contrast with the magnitude of the God who created it all. Life is but a vapor and yet, we stubbornly make it all about us, our agendas, our ideologies, instead of thinking about what God would have us do.
Many don’t ever stop to think that it may just be true that one day we will all stand before the one who created the stars, placing us, by design, on this earth to accomplish his plan. That day could even be today. I don’t know about you, but I tremble at the thought. I tremble at the thought that every action and everything I have ever stood for or against will be accounted for. I tremble at the thought that there is a higher plan, a higher purpose in life than just my daily routines, my concerns and cares. I tremble at the thought that God has placed me on this tiny planet with a specific purpose in mind and that I may just miss it if I get so engrossed with my own agenda that I fail to seek him. Do you ever think about that?
I believe we all should. Because as we look at the vastness and perfection of our universe, we must be confronted with the fact that, if it was indeed created, there is a God who is so perfect and particular that he doesn’t want us to treat our lives and society as another cosmic accident. He created life in an orderly fashion and he does care about how we live it. What if he does have a blueprint for us to follow? What if there is indeed right and wrong and one day he will hold us accountable for our actions? Would that change the way you see life and everything you believe in?
Patricia Holbrook is a Christian author and national conference speaker. You can now pre-buy her first book, “12 Inches - Bridging the Gap between What You Know and How You Feel About God” at Barnes & Nobles onine and Amazon. Visit her blog to read her devotionals at www.soaringwithhim.com or email her at pholbrook@soaringwithhim.com
