I’ve been reading Francis Chan’s book “Crazy Love”. In the opening chapter he directs readers to watch this short video on the web. Absolutely amazing.
Understand this – God created this Universe. He holds it in the palm of His hand.
As I watched the video I was reminded of some words of Charles Spurgeon. When he was just 21 years old he opened a sermon on the Immutability of God with the following words …
There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity. Other subjects we can compass and grapple with; in them we feel a kind of self-content, and go our way with the thought, “Behold I am wise.” But when we come to this master-science, finding that our plumb-line cannot sound its depth, and that our eagle eye cannot see its height, we turn away with the thought, that vain man would be wise, but he is like a wild ass’s colt; and with the solemn exclamation, “I am but of yesterday, and know nothing.” No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God.
We are so prone to forgetting God and becoming consumed with our own importance. It’s good for us to be brought back regularly to face the reality about God’s greatness and our own minuteness. You might want to watch the video again, and then go find a quiet place to be by yourself and worship your Creator.
Phil
Absolutely awesome! That final clause in Spurgeon’s quote just sums it up so well. One can appreciate Paul’s word in Romans 1 concerning those who would dispense with God (Psalm 14:1. 53:1) “who changed the truth of God into a lie…pause: note that, it is NOT EXchanged the truth of God FOR a lie, but changed the truth of God INTO a lie! …and worship and serve the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” (Romans 1:25) Little wonder Paul says (verse 22), “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” You see such folly in that NO man really dispenses with ‘god,’ for in denying the true God they worship self and created things (v.23)- they establish idolatry. What vanity! They lack understanding. Yes, Phil – God save from blasphemous self-importance and self-worship, and graciously help us to WORSHIP HIM ALONE! THIS is the highest activity of the soul. HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD! Matthew Henry makes this apt comment: “It was the greatest honour God did to man that he made man in the image of God; but it is the greatest dishonour man has done to God that he has made God in the image of man.” Keep magnifying HIM, for whatever ignorant men will do in denying Him, HE WILL BE BLESSED FOREVER!
Thanks for calling my attention to the plenipotentiary of the universe. I remember one of my professors at Columbia telling me that sound theology was on a low ebb because Christians see themselves to high and God to low. Later I came across the Latin word dignitas and learned that it was related to gloria. The more I mused on the excellencies of God, the more I realized that His dignity and glory ought to the first thoughts in my mind. I’ve been a miserable failure, but I aspire to keep the dignity and glory of God in the forefront of my mind. As I read your comments I thought about our friend J. Edwards. I went to his letters and personal writings to bring to my memory some of his comments on spiders.
“Hence the wisdom of the Creator in providing of the spider with that wonderful liquor with which their bottle tail is filled, that may so easily be drawn out so exceeding fine, and being in this way exposed to the air will so immediately convert to a dry substance….Hence the exuberant goodness of the Creator, who hath not only provided for all the necessities,but also for the pleasure and recreation of all sorts of creatures, even the insects.” (Yale Edition, Vol. 16, p. 45)
Thank you again for your insight and bringing this wonderful subject to the attention of your readers.