July 4 I Thursday

Job 28-29

Acts 13:1-25

“You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything.”    —Nehemiah 9:6

Without a knowledge of God, we come to experience Him through His creation because God both reveals Himself and speaks to us through His creation. One thing we realize is that God is big! David tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge” (Psalm 19:1-2). The wonder of God’s creation is not just found in the big and beautiful, but in the small and intricately detailed. From the tiniest money spider to a single snowflake, all of it is the work of an Almighty God. When God is so big, we do not get frightened in this lonely world, and when God is so small, we do not panic because we know He loves us.

We also see God in our circumstances, however wonderful they are or tough they may be. Some time ago, a man I knew had just been diagnosed with cancer and he wrote this: “Life expectancy is a fragile thing. For all we know, some plan may be brewing in the mysteries of providence that will take me to be with Jesus by some other means in a totally surprising way. We do not put our hope in the odds; we put our hope in God and the final joy of fellowship with Him, the One who appoints our days according to His infinite wisdom.” How do we frighten a man who says, “I am living right on schedule with a God who has appointed my days with infinite wisdom?” How and when he dies is of no consequence to him. The point is: he is going to be brought into fellowship with Jesus in a way He will enjoy for all eternity.

When we seek to pursue pureness of heart, we will begin to see everything, from a blade of grass to the vastness of the universe, with new eyes, a new heart and a new perception that fills us with God Himself. This is why Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). “They shall see God” is synonymous with being pure in heart.

Not only do we see God in creation and our circumstances, we are also deeply moved by the heart of God over a broken world and people. We should be compelled not to a moment of reaction, but a
lifetime of action, surrendering our lives to the purposes of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Almighty Creator of this world, You are an awesome God! Everything wonderful and good comes from You. I thank You, Lord, that I am able to see You in countless ways.