“Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread forth the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:
“I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you….”
Isaiah 42:5-6 (RSV)
God created trillions of galaxies in the universe, and yet He still cares for each individual person He has created. It’s mind boggling to think about a God who is big enough to create all that and yet care for each one of us, personally. He not only cares, but He loves us as a father loves their child. Today’s scripture gives an intriguing image of the Creator of the galaxies, who is reaching out to take our hand and guide each one of us.
There are situations in our lives that may cause us to feel downhearted, sometimes to a point of thinking that we have nothing and are all alone. Since God made all the galaxies out of nothing, He can certainly make something out of our nothing, as well. He brings beauty out of ashes, hope from despair and new life from what was once lifeless.
We were created to discover those moments when we look up and call upon the God of the galaxies. He waits patiently for these moments with us, and then responds by taking our hand and guiding us through our storm. God’s love for us, is relentless, because we are of immeasurable value to Him. If that were not so, He wouldn’t have let His Son die for us.
Many people can’t comprehend a God who is so personal, or that He is anyone more than a vague Presence, watching us from a distance. God is big enough to manage trillions of galaxies, and still intervene in the lives of the 8.32 billion people on this planet. He is not limited, but we are limited in our ability to comprehend His interest in us. I believe He looks at each of us at times and says,
“If you only knew how much I care, you would believe Me for much more…”
The Lord knows every one of our thoughts and understands all of our anxieties. David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” (Psalm 139:2) God knows us better than we know ourselves.
He doesn’t need our friendship, our worship, or our obedience, but He definitely desires it. He tells us through so many examples in scripture, describing His desire for a relationship with us. He uses the parable of a father searching for his prodigal son, the husband searching for his unfaithful wife (Hosea 1:2), and the good shepherd who left 99 sheep to search for the one who strayed away. There’s no question that we can love, because God is the first person who ever loved us.
That’s the God I’ve come to know and love. He pursued me for the first nineteen years of my life, until my eyes were opened and I finally looked to Jesus and surrendered my life to Him, through a simple prayer.
Since that day, I have lived with an awareness that God is not only real, but that Jesus walks beside me every day.
The God of the galaxies is also our Heavenly Father and He desires a relationship with us. The Holy Spirit shares this truth with everyone, though not everyone embraces faith in Him. We who believe cannot prove it scientifically, but we know it’s true, because faith is not a feeling or a fantasy, it’s an inner conviction of unseen truth.
Lord, Thank you for being powerful enough to command the galaxies, yet patient enough to take our hand and draw our souls closer to you. Amen
