I often remind my own heart that the only way I can have a right perspective of my life is if I have a right perspective of God. And the only way I can have a right perspective of God is through the daily pursuit of reading and meditating on the Word of God. When I am not faithful to seek the Lord through the pages of Scripture, I can guarantee that my life will feel confusing, discouraging and overwhelming. Corrie Ten Boom said it succinctly: “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” We can’t help but be at rest when our eyes are fixed on the Lord because we see Him for who He is. Just within the first few lines of Scripture we see His awesome power. God simply spoke words and the entire universe came into being!
I read an illustration about our universe that just about made my mouth hang open. If you were to take a single quarter and drop it anywhere in North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) you would have the approximate size of our WHOLE solar system in comparison to the galaxy we live in, the Milky Way. And if that wasn’t mind blowing enough….there are believed to be BILLIONS of galaxies in our universe! THAT is what our Heavenly Father spoke into existence!
“Look up and see: who created these? He brings out the starry host by number; He calls all of them by name. Because of His great power and strength, not one of them is missing.” Isaiah 40:26
He knows how many stars there are, but even more so, He has named them all….billions and billions of them! I’m left somewhere between wanting to cry in humbled wonder and wanting to fall on my knees and join the chorus of the living creatures whose voices, day and night, ring out, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming.” Rev. 4:8
Look up to the Heavens and stand in awe! That’s our God…He did all that and more than we can possibly even begin to see or imagine. His power is boundless and His sovereign care knows no end! Why do we worry? Why are we given to fear? Why do we grumble and complain? Why does discouragement flood our souls? We forget, don’t we? We forget His perfect wisdom and infinite power, and we lose sight of His mercy and grace. We take our eyes and hearts off of Him and place them on self or on those around us…both of whom can never fill our hearts with soul-satisfying joy and peace:
“For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to will and to act for His good purpose. Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. Hold firmly the message of life.” Philippians 2:13-16a
Look up to the Heavens and cry out in prayer! Pray that God would give us a heart that desires to seek and know Him through His Word. Pray that God would cause us to shine brightly in the world, community, neighborhood, and family He has placed us into. Pray that we may walk wisely as we shine and that God might use us in leading many to righteousness as they see Christ in us, the hope of glory!
“Those who are wise will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3
And it might not be a bad idea to keep a quarter handy. Not only will it remind us of the awesome power of our God who spoke the world into existence and yet is intimately acquainted with all our ways, ordaining our steps and ordering all our moments; but we might also be able to use it as a springboard to declaring the glory of God to someone who does not yet know the saving power of our Jesus. That quarter may end up being worth much more than twenty-five cents…its value may be eternal!
Just the Clay 
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