“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
I think we take this verse for granted too much. We also take God too much for granted. Sure, we quote this verse and say, “Genesis is a book about God.” But, from this verse, have you ever paused to consider God’s awesomeness? His excellence? His unspeakableness? No? Well, let’s do it!
The observable universe has approximately one trillion galaxies. Each galaxy has on average 100 billion stars. And let’s suppose that each star has nine planets, like our sun (star). Are you lost in those numbers yet? No? Well, don’t forget that that’s only five percent of the universe!
Now let’s do math: 1,000,000,000,000 x 100,000,000,000 x 9 x 20. “God created the heavens and the earth.” That means 100% of the universe! The product of these values that make up our universe is 18,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000 planets! That’s 18 septillion planets (estimating).
Are you lost now? We estimate, but God is exact. He knows everything. He asked Job: “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7, NIV).
Sometimes we are so extremely knowledgeable about our immediate surroundings (or like in Job’s case, our immediate circumstances) that we forget that God’s view is everything! Sometimes we fail to remember that “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit” (Psalm 147:4-5, NIV).
Next time you read Genesis 1:1, remember that God also said, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool” (Isaiah 66:1b). He’s
calling our attention to His omniscience (knows all things), His omnipotence (all powerful), and His omnipresence (present everywhere). Got trouble? God’s got you!
– Ernie McDougall
Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.
Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org