“Your thoughts of God are too human.” – Martin Luther
We talked about this being a reality for a lot of us in yesterday’s introduction post on the doctrine of God. If you have not read that yet, I suggest you do that before following along with the first two life-changing truths about God, that we will discuss today.
LIFE-CHANGING TRUTH #1
GOD IS CREATOR.
We were made. God is our maker. He’s CREATOR.
The first four words in the Bible puts everything in perspective.
In the beginning GOD…
—Genesis 1:1 NIV
We didn’t start this. He did!
We can’t control it. He does.
The world doesn’t operate according to our design or our plans, it operates according to His.
We don’t know what’s coming next. But He knows.
We aren’t the center of the universe, He is! [1]
Rick Warren was right when He began his best-selling book, The Purpose-Driven Life — over 50 million copies in 85 different languages — with these words: “It’s not about you.”
“It’s not about you.“
“The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.” —Rick Warren [2]
In the beginning GOD CREATED the heavens and the earth.
—Genesis 1:1 NIV
God created it all! He created the universe.
Colossians 1:16b-17 affirms this when, speaking of and describing Jesus, Paul writes:
“Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.”—Col 1:16b-17 NLT
For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen. —Romans 11:36 NLT
Think about it like this…
Scientists measure the size of the universe in something called “light years.” They tell us that light travels at a rate of 186,282 miles per second. That’s 670+ million mph or 5.88 trillion miles per year.
A “light year” is the distance light travels in a year or 5.88 trillion miles. This is beyond our understanding. It’s unimaginable. The human mind isn’t really capable of comprehending this kind of size or distance.
When it comes to measuring the universe, it’s so vast and expansive, that we have to measure it in INCREMENTS that are 5.88 trillion miles long.
According to Genesis 1 (see vs. 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24 and 26), God literally SPOKE the universe into existence.
God said, “Let there be light, space, waters, etc.,” and a powerful eruption of creative power and energy came pouring out of His mouth bringing the entire universe into existence. This is our God!
The more scientists discover, the more it affirms the greatness of God.
For instance, the Milky Way Galaxy (that’s the “subdivision” in the universe you and I happen to live in). The Milky Way Galaxy is about 100,000 light years across. That’s 100,000 X 5.88 trillion miles across. All of it the creative word of God.
In his book Eyes Wide Open, author Steve DeWitt writes that there are “…two hundred billion observable galaxies…[in the universe] (the Milky Way being just one of them).
[On top of that], an average galaxy contains two hundred billion stars. So the total number of stars in the observable universe is a staggering forty to fifty billion trillion… [3]
If God can create billions of galaxies and 50 billion trillion star with just four words, what can’t our God do?
Isaiah 40 is a chapter in the Bible that describes the greatness of Creator God.
For instance, Isaiah 40:12 indicates that our God “…has held the oceans in His hand, [and] has measured off the heavens with His fingers.”
Do an experiment with me. Cup your hands. How much water could you hold in your hand? Now, think about all the water on this planet. Approximately 70% of the planet is covered in water.
According to Isaiah, our God can hold the water of the oceans (plural) in his two hands (Isa 40:12 MSG). That’s like 326 trillion million gallons or 912,500 cubic miles of water… And, He never spills a drop!
God’s like, “Got it all. Right here. In the palms of my hands…”
The same passage (Isa 40:12) says that God can measure the heavens — including every galaxy and universe — with his fingers. His FINGERS… Don’t miss that!
Imagine this. It only takes light 8 minutes to travel the 93 million miles from our sun to this planet. You heard that right. 93 million miles. That means that sunlight is only eight minutes old when it reaches us.
What’s even more amazing is that scientists tell us that some of the light we see has been traveling for 13.8 billion years. They call this “the observable universe.” In other words, our universe is so big that light (traveling at the speed of 186,000 mps) takes almost 14 billion years to travel across the universe and become visible to you and me. [4]
This is how VAST the “observable” UNIVERSE is. On top of that, scientists tell us it’s getting even bigger all the time. But… our God can measure the UNIVERSE with his FINGERS!
The vastness of the universe caused author, Steve DeWitt to ask this question: “The universe is big, really big. Why? Why is it so enormous?
I love his answer: “In order to say something to us about the God who made it… What is it saying? — GOD is BIGGER.” [5]
Mark Batterson, in his excellent book, The Grave Robber describes the CREATIVE POWER of God.
He writes about the science behind the idea that “the universe is still expanding…” and then he makes this statement:
“The significance of [the fact that the universe is still expanding] is this: the original ‘Let there be light’ is still creating galaxies at the outer edges of the universe! Billions of galaxies trace their origin to [just those] four words.” —Mark Batterson [6]
On top of that, according to Isaiah 40:12b, our God “…knows the weight of the earth and can weigh the mountains and hills on a scale.”
Isaiah 40:15b says that God “…picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand.”
Do you realize that the earth weighs six million million billion tons? It’s so big that it seems flat when you’re standing on it, even though it’s spherical. [7]
Think of it this way… I can palm a baseball, a softball, maybe a soccer or volleyball. Okay, maybe a tennis ball. Kobe Bryant, on the other hand, could palm a basketball.
GOD on the other hand, can palm the PLANET. God says, “Think about this. So, you’re carrying a heavy load, huh? Well, ‘I can pick up the earth — I’m talking about all six million million billon tons. I’m talking all 24,901 miles in circumference and all 8,000 miles in diameter if you go from one side straight through to the other side. I can pick up the whole earth like it’s a grain of sand. I hold it all in the PALM of My hand. I think I can handle whatever load you may be carrying today!”
Isaiah 40:26 gives us even more insight into God’s creative ability.
Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. —Isaiah 40:26 NLT
TPT reads, “He lit every shining star and formed every glowing galaxy, and stationed them all where they belong. He has numbered, counted, and given everyone a name. They shine because of God’s incredible power and awesome might; not one fails to appear!”
Scientists believe that the universe is filled with at least two hundred billion other galaxies [8] and that each of those galaxies is peppered with about a hundred billion stars each…[9]
God created every star! He knows each of them by name! In other words, He knows which star is “Bob,” which is “Twinkle,” and which star is “C10369872AB”.
God is CREATOR!
Go back to what Steve DeWitt wrote. “Why is the universe so big and enormous?” His answer? To tell us something about the God who made it.That He is BIGGER! He is GREATER!
For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. —Romans 11:36 NLT
When is the last time you stood in AWE of God? When you took a moment to thank Him for His creation? To look up, marvel, wonder and WORSHIP?
LIFE-CHANGING TRUTH #2
GOD IS ETERNAL.
You and I have a birthdate. We even have a conception date (that makes most of us really uncomfortable to think about.) The point is, we have a beginning. For instance, I was born in 1983… Okay, a little further back than that. Before that, I didn’t exist, except in the heart and mind of God. I also have an expiration date. I don’t know what it is. I’m hoping it’s not anytime soon. But it’s reality.
God, on the other hand wasn’t born and He never gets old. He’s ETERNAL. He doesn’t have a beginning and He’ll never have an end. He exists completely outside the realms of time and space. God has always been and He will always be.
Psalm 90 is a psalm of Moses. Here’s how Moses described God...
Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. —Ps 90:2 NIV
It shouldn’t surprise us that Moses would describe God like that, because in Exodus 3, when Moses had his first encounter with God at the burning bush, Moses and God had this dialogue.
“If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is His name?’ Then, what should I tell them?” 14God replied to Moses, “I Am who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” —Exodus 3:13-14 NLT
“I AM WHO I AM.”
“I Am who I Am…” was more than a name. It was a description that pointed to all God is in Himself.
The ESV Study Bible says that in that single name, God revealed at least four truths about Himself:
- I am the God who is self-existent. I’m not dependent upon anyone or anything for my existence.
- I am the God who is creator and sustainer of everything that exists.
- I am the God who is immutable or unchangeable in my being and my character. I’m not in the process of becoming something different from what I am… I’m the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
- I am the God who is eternal in my existence… I don’t have a birth date, and I certainly don’t have an expiration date… (Cross Reference: Revelation 1:8)
Here’s why God’s eternity is important to you and me. One scholar described it. He quoted Jeremiah 31:3.
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” —Jeremiah 31:3 NLT
Commenting on that verse, Geehardus Vos wrote:
“The best proof that God will never cease to love us lies in that He never began.” —Geerhardus Vos [10]
In other words, “If God loves you eternally, there was never a time when that love began, so there will never be a time when that love ends. It is an eternal, everlasting love…” [11]
Whether you “feel” like it or not!
Even when you’re plagued by doubt, fear, anxiety, depression or loneliness.
On your best days and on your worst!
You are eternally loved by God!
“Your love is not the foundation of your life!
His eternal and everlasting love is!” [12]
Trust in and rely upon God’s eternal, everlasting love!
[1] Paul Tripp, Do You Believe? Kindle Edition, p 84.
[2] Warren, Rick; Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (p. 23). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
[3] Steve DeWitt, Eyes Wide Open, Kindle Edition, p 65 of 185.
[4] https://phys.org/news/2015-10-big-universe.html
[5] DeWitt, Steve, Eyes Wide Open (pp. 65-66). Credo House Publishers. Kindle Edition.
[6] Batterson, Mark. The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible (p. 226). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
[7] Andrew Wilson, God of All Things, Kindle Ed., p 45.
[8] https://www.space.com/25303-how-many-galaxies-are-in-the-universe.html#:~:text=All%20in%20all%2C%20Hubble%20reveals,%2C%20Livio%20told%20Space.com.
[9] Richard Swenson, More Than Meets The Eye, page 143.
[10] Geerhardus Vos, Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation, p 298 quoted by Paul Tripp, Do You Believe? Kindle p 91.
[11] Paul Tripp, Do You Believe? Kindle Edition, p 92.
[12] Paul Tripp, Do You Believe? Kindle Edition, p 92.