Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of the God who gives stability to life. That is true on a personal level, but it can be illustrated in other areas as well. The reason God can give stability is because of who He is. I can have confidence in His control over my small life, because He has shown that He has control over the largest cosmic events.
“Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name” (Amos 5:8).
The language of Amos is poetic, as he describes in creative ways some of the routine things that God does. First, God makes the seven stars (Pleiades) and Orion. Amos chooses some of the most commonly known stars and reminds us that God made them. Those stars are constant – we see them in the sky night after night, year after year, generation after generation. God made them, and God keeps them. They are on-going reminders that God is in control.
Second, God turns the shadow of night into morning, and when it is time, He makes the day dark with night. This is the most fundamental routine of our lives, and God oversees it. I’m glad we have both day and night. No one wants the night to last forever; Amos calls it the shadow of death. We are happy to see the sun rise and the world awaken. The older I get, the gladder I am that there is also a time that the day becomes dark. We need the night so that we can rest. Every time we go to bed in the dark and every time we wake up to a new day, it is a reminder that God is in control.
Third, God collects the waters of the sea through evaporation, and He pours those waters out on the earth through rain. This cycle is not as regular as that of day and night, but it is another masterful plan designed by God. What human mind would ever have designed this system of the water cycle? While we might not see this happen on a daily basis, the reality is that it is another factor that God is constantly controlling. When we walk outside on a dry day, water is evaporating – especially on a hot, sunny day. When we huddle indoors during a rainstorm, God is refreshing and replenishing the earth, giving it the water that it needs. In essence, every time it rains and every time the sun shines, God is giving us reminders that He is in control.
Yes, God is faithfully overseeing our universe, from the grandest level to the most personal. God keeps bringing the stars out each night, their rotation changing over the seasons, but constant and predictable. God keeps changing each night into day and each day into night. God keeps scooping up the water needed by the earth and then delivering that water in the form of rain. Our lives revolve around these “scientific” actions by God.
Ultimately, we can be comforted in knowing that the God who so effectively and predictably controls the grandest things can be trusted to effectively control all that pertains to us. He is powerful, faithful, and reliable. We can have stability under the care of such a God.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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