4 Minute Devotions: Fringes

Calvin called them the ‘attestations of God’s wisdom.’ He was referring to the wonders of nature and creation all around us, which lead us to having faith in a benevolent Creator. Whether it’s the majesty of magnificent mountains, the crashing of waves against the shore, or even looking at a blade of grass under a microscope, all of them inspire a feeling of awe and wonder within us, which can only be explained as a oneness with the creator.

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Job 26:14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?"

I also like what Job has to say about these wonderful works of creation. To him, they were the outer fringes of God’s works; in other words, there are even greater things to experience about God. As I have written before, one of my hopes about being on the other side of death will be traveling throughout the whole universe and seeing everything that God has done. I want to watch stars being born and different planets. I want to feel the pleasure and delight that God has in His creativity. I want to be there when a new heaven and a new earth are created for the glorious purpose of a new beginning for humanity.

As I look out my study window, I see that the sky is overcast and that the trees have lost the brightness of their colors. But I know that very soon the sun will come out from behind the grey clouds and that these mere fringes of God’s creation will become bright and alive, beautiful and marvelous. All things attest to God’s wisdom and I feel both privileged and humbled to be a creature of His making, who experiences the wonders of His creating.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to take the time to feel the sense of wonder at the beauty which is all around us. No matter what we do or where we go today, remind us of the joy of creation and let us experience the awe of Your beauty. In the Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org

Midweek Mosaic - Walking in Eden

And in the cool of the evening, God walked in the Garden of Eden...

Holy Name

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Acts 3: 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. (NIV)

I was watching the news this morning and a saw a video of Stephen Hawking, the great physics professor from England, floating through the air inside a diving airplane. Hawking is an amazing person. He’s been a paraplegic all of his life and can only converse with other people via an electronic device. He has fought against all sorts of hurdles to become a prominent scientist. He is esteemed throughout the civilized world as a remarkably talented genius. He now wants to go up in a rocket and become the first wheel chaired person to go into space. I hope that he fulfills his dream.

There is, however, a side of Hawking that remains paralyzed within him. He has no belief in God and can be quite vitriolic against those who have faith. Stephen doesn’t think that the universe was created, but that it just happened by accident. I guess he feels that the same fate, which saw him born with no speech or mobility, caused the Cosmos to spontaneously appear. Perhaps if I was in his shoes, I would feel the same.

I wish that he could find God, for I believe it would have an immense impact in the world. I hope that if he gets up into space, he will undergo a spiritual awakening and discover that beautiful gate which will lead him to our Creator. It would be a wonderful event and could begin a renaissance of faith throughout our society. I think I’ll pray that it happens, and that Jesus of Nazareth will enable Stephen Hawking to walk in His Light.

Christ has the power to release us from all that paralyses our hearts and minds. Throughout the Book of Acts in the Bible, people are liberated from sickness and despair, madness and corruption, prejudice and pain. The first apostles understood how powerful Jesus was, and that by merely speaking His Name, people were healed. Perhaps it’s time that the Church reclaimed this power.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your Name is holy and sacred, precious and wonderful. We have forgotten that the gift of Your Name has the power to forgive our sins, restore our lives, and heal our sicknesses. Grant us the courage to reclaim the strength of Your Name. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.