Words can be cheap when they stand alone or when they have no reference to reality. An old saying about giving advice says, “Advice is cheap.” It is a reference to how easy it is to provide guidance or a recommendation when the person speaking does not have to follow it or believe it. However, the quietest spoken word is powerful when it comes from a person who has experienced something serious. The power of a simple scripture is made plain when a person observes God’s creation because it is a matched set: He both speaks and creates; we can both read the words and see what He makes. Observing creation with His words in mind, as a result, becomes a powerful affirmation of Who He is.
Let us set the stage for a lesson with an observing sheet that was developed in late May, when I was studying two galaxies that are high in the sky. It was one of those spring nights that was relatively warm and clear, so the expansive sky was full of stars. I was after one little section of the celestial sphere, where M85 and NGC 4394 reside. It was not a long period of observing. The time was peaceful and quiet. Earlier that day I had reviewed the Lord’s Prayer, so the first line of it was on my mind and heart. So the scripture was placed on the observing sheet along with an extraction from Genesis, where God says he made the stars on the 4th day of creation. Here is the observing sheet:
It is in the heart of most people to look at the sky at night and wonder about it. Its expansive appearance and discoveries about its detail in the last few decades make most people stop to ponder the meaning of it all. For the believer in Jesus Christ, it is a mystery that is solved in terms of meaning, but the extent of the heavens is like a shout from God about His power. In a sense, the expansive sky brings a sense of humility, which is the sentiment of the first line of the Lord’s Prayer that He teaches His disciples through the ages to pray. It is dramatically clear cut and prioritized. “Our Father” speaks of a personal relationship with God Himself and His position above everything in the universe. The word “hallowed” that follows is somewhat archaic in today’s terms but accurately depicts our position relative to His: He is due all of our worship, life, and walk. His name is above all names.
So if this first line is positioned next to the extraction from Genesis, which states that He made the stars, it is an appropriate practical (because we can see them ourselves) praise of Him, whose creative power is so clearly seen.
Of course, with every God-breathed truth comes a delusion that is opposed to His stated truth. In this sense, it is not a surprise that God is omitted from nearly every educational and scientific institution explanation for the heavens. Then, it is all the more reason for a believer to stand straight and proclaim the biblical view of the heavens. And, contrary to popular notions, there are scientists and specialists that dearly love God and hold to the truth that He made the stars on the 4th day of creation. Indeed, His name is “hallowed” in the face of this creation event and any of the others He describes in Genesis.
To read further, go to www.creation.com or www.icr.org and use the search windows to read about the origin of the stars or other biblical creation topics. Even more important, go outside at night and look at the heavens. Consider the greatness of the One who created them and declare that His name is above all.
