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When life gets busy, it can become very easy to forget about God’s creation—how intricately balanced our planet is, and that without a divine master planner, earth would be nothing more than a frozen, lifeless rock. I know that in my own life and with all the daily worries and challenges that confront me, I tend to turn a blind eye to the majesty of God. But tonight, the Lord blessed my soul with a stunning light show directly over my house, a display of northern lights that took my breath away and turned my thoughts to God at a time when I really needed it.
Watching the jaw-dropping celestial show with my wife, Diane, we began to get text messages and photographs from family and friends around the country who were also enjoying the heavenly spectacle. With stars sparkling in behind the aurora, it was next to impossible to not sense God’s majesty. Psalms 19:1 says it best: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (NIV)
God’s hands-on work of art speaks volumes to his purposeful design. Did you know that if the earth was 10 percent closer to the sun, it would burn up? Conversely, if our planet was 10 percent further away, we would face intense cold, freezing our entire home. A 10 percent faster rotation would produce winds of 300 to 400 kilometers per hour, and a 10 percent slower rotation would result in prolonged exposure to the sun with un-survivable temperatures day and night. As well, the sun’s temperature is meticulously balanced to allow for the existence and sustenance to support life, while the moon’s rotation prevents the accumulation of stagnant water and contributes to the stability of the earth’s precise 23.5-degree axis—allowing the sun to shine on different latitudes at different times and causing the seasons! I could go on, but you get the idea.
The majesty of God and his flawless design is truly remarkable, so much so that it all just couldn’t have happened by chance. This extremely delicate balance is too perfect for random chance, as clearly evidenced by the gorgeous northern lights over my house this evening. Here’s a cool bible verse that speaks to God’s divine nature and his never-ending attempts to grab our attention through creation.
"For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20 NIV).
The hand of God is everywhere if you and I take the time to look for it, and the aurora borealis was no exception despite the harried distractions in my life and the devil’s repeated attempts to keep me from noticing God’s eternal power and divine nature. I’m so thankful that my niece, thousands of kilometers away, told me to go outside and look up. The Majesty of God was on full display for all to see, which leaves me scratching my head in wonder at how anyone can doubt God’s existence when the incredible perplexities of heaven and earth are on constant display, 24/7, 365 days a year, to “infinity and beyond,” as Buzz Lightyear always likes to say!
"He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.” (Jeremiah 51:15 NIV)
Paul Smyth
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