*If this is the wrong place for this you'll have to excuse me.
Below is a copy and paste of an email devotional I get from Bible Gateway by Francis Chan. Called "Stop Praying" Part one:
Stop Praying (Part 1)
"What if I said, "Stop praying"? What if I told you to stop talking at God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word? Solomon warned us not to rush into God's presence with words. That's what fools do. And often, that's what we do.
We are a culture that relies on technology over community, a society in which spoken and written words are cheap, easy to come by, and excessive. Our culture says anything goes; fear of God is almost unheard of. We are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry.
The wise man comes to God without saying a word and stands in awe of Him. It may seem a hopeless endeavor, to gaze at the invisible God. But Romans 1:20 tells us that through creation, we see His "invisible qualities" and "divine nature."
Let's begin this devotional series by gazing at God in silence. What I want you to do right now is to go online and look at the "Awe Factor video (
) from crazylovebook.comto get a taste of the awe factor of our God. Seriously--go do it.
Speechless? Amazed? Humbled?
When I first saw those images, I had to worship. I didn't want to speak to or share it with anyone. I just wanted to sit quietly and admire the Creator.
It's wild to think that most of these galaxies have been discovered only in the past few years, thanks to the Hubble telescope. They've been in the universe for thousands of years without humans even knowing about them.
Why would God create more than 350,000,000,000 galaxies (and this is a conservative estimate) that generations of people never saw or even knew existed? Do you think maybe it was to make us say, "Wow, God is unfathomably big"? Or perhaps God wanted us to see these pictures so that our response would be, "Who do I think I am?"
Switch gears with me for a minute and think about the detailed intricacy of the other side of creation.
Did you know that a caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head? That's quite a few, for a bug. The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it. And your own heart generates enough pressure as it pumps blood throughout your body that it could squirt blood up to 30 feet. (I've never tried this, and I don't recommend it.)
Have you ever thought about how diverse and creative God is? He didn't have to make hundreds of different kinds of bananas, but He did. He didn't have to put 3,000 different species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon jungle, but He did. God didn't have to create so many kinds of laughter. Think about the different sounds of your friends' laughs--wheezes, snorts, silent, loud, obnoxious.
How about the way plants defy gravity by drawing water upward from the ground into their stems and veins? Or did you know that spiders produce three kinds of silk? When they build their webs, they create sixty feet of silk in one hour, simultaneously producing special oil on their feet that prevents them from sticking to their own web. (Most of us hate spiders, but sixty feet an hour deserves some respect!) Coral plants are so sensitive that they can die if the water temperature varies by even one or two degrees.
Did you know that when you get goose bumps, the hair in your follicles is actually helping you stay warmer by trapping body heat? Or what about the simple fact that plants take in carbon dioxide (which is harmful to us) and produce oxygen (which we need to survive)? I'm sure you knew that, but have you ever marveled at it? And these same poison-swallowing, life-giving plants came from tiny seeds that were placed in the dirt. Some were watered, some weren't; but after a few days they poked through the soil and out into the warm sunlight.
Whatever God's reasons for such diversity, creativity, and sophistication in the universe, on earth, and in our own bodies, the point of it all is His glory. God's art speaks of Himself, reflecting who He is and what He is like.
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 display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. - Psalm 19:1-4
This is why we are called to worship Him. His art, His handiwork, and His creation all echo the truth that He is glorious. There is no other like Him. He is the King of Kings, the Beginning and the End, the One who was and is and is to come. I know you've heard this before, but I don't want you to miss it.
I sometimes struggle with how to properly respond to God's magnitude in a world bent on ignoring or merely tolerating Him. But know this: God will not be tolerated. He instructs us to worship and fear Him.
Go back and reread the last two paragraphs. Close your email if you need to, and meditate on the almighty One who dwells in unapproachable light, the glorious One.
Reflection Questions
This is one of those "I knew all this" moments and yet for some reason, only now, is it making since. Simply put, I have problems. Some pretty serious ones. I claim to trust Christ with my salvation and letting that go with Him, yet I can't seem to for things I can see in this life. Yet, He has all the hairs of my head counted. He knows as much about me, my problems, and how to solve them as He does about all the universe. Every detail of the galaxies out there. I still can't wrap my head around it. All I can see is that my check account is below 1000$ and I still have bills to clear and don't get paid until next Monday. I'm freaking out thinking of more coming as they will. Each month something keeps happening. Something with the house, something with the cars, then theres getting the baby on our insurance which is going to send it way up, etc. Yet, God knows this. He knows we need these needs met. He knows how he'll do it. But because I can't see it, I get stressed. The change Mr. Chan is challenging in this, is what I would love to have in my life.
Below is a copy and paste of an email devotional I get from Bible Gateway by Francis Chan. Called "Stop Praying" Part one:
Stop Praying (Part 1)
"What if I said, "Stop praying"? What if I told you to stop talking at God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word? Solomon warned us not to rush into God's presence with words. That's what fools do. And often, that's what we do.
We are a culture that relies on technology over community, a society in which spoken and written words are cheap, easy to come by, and excessive. Our culture says anything goes; fear of God is almost unheard of. We are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry.
The wise man comes to God without saying a word and stands in awe of Him. It may seem a hopeless endeavor, to gaze at the invisible God. But Romans 1:20 tells us that through creation, we see His "invisible qualities" and "divine nature."
Let's begin this devotional series by gazing at God in silence. What I want you to do right now is to go online and look at the "Awe Factor video (
Speechless? Amazed? Humbled?
When I first saw those images, I had to worship. I didn't want to speak to or share it with anyone. I just wanted to sit quietly and admire the Creator.
It's wild to think that most of these galaxies have been discovered only in the past few years, thanks to the Hubble telescope. They've been in the universe for thousands of years without humans even knowing about them.
Why would God create more than 350,000,000,000 galaxies (and this is a conservative estimate) that generations of people never saw or even knew existed? Do you think maybe it was to make us say, "Wow, God is unfathomably big"? Or perhaps God wanted us to see these pictures so that our response would be, "Who do I think I am?"
Switch gears with me for a minute and think about the detailed intricacy of the other side of creation.
Did you know that a caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head? That's quite a few, for a bug. The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it. And your own heart generates enough pressure as it pumps blood throughout your body that it could squirt blood up to 30 feet. (I've never tried this, and I don't recommend it.)
Have you ever thought about how diverse and creative God is? He didn't have to make hundreds of different kinds of bananas, but He did. He didn't have to put 3,000 different species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon jungle, but He did. God didn't have to create so many kinds of laughter. Think about the different sounds of your friends' laughs--wheezes, snorts, silent, loud, obnoxious.
How about the way plants defy gravity by drawing water upward from the ground into their stems and veins? Or did you know that spiders produce three kinds of silk? When they build their webs, they create sixty feet of silk in one hour, simultaneously producing special oil on their feet that prevents them from sticking to their own web. (Most of us hate spiders, but sixty feet an hour deserves some respect!) Coral plants are so sensitive that they can die if the water temperature varies by even one or two degrees.
Did you know that when you get goose bumps, the hair in your follicles is actually helping you stay warmer by trapping body heat? Or what about the simple fact that plants take in carbon dioxide (which is harmful to us) and produce oxygen (which we need to survive)? I'm sure you knew that, but have you ever marveled at it? And these same poison-swallowing, life-giving plants came from tiny seeds that were placed in the dirt. Some were watered, some weren't; but after a few days they poked through the soil and out into the warm sunlight.
Whatever God's reasons for such diversity, creativity, and sophistication in the universe, on earth, and in our own bodies, the point of it all is His glory. God's art speaks of Himself, reflecting who He is and what He is like.
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 display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. - Psalm 19:1-4
This is why we are called to worship Him. His art, His handiwork, and His creation all echo the truth that He is glorious. There is no other like Him. He is the King of Kings, the Beginning and the End, the One who was and is and is to come. I know you've heard this before, but I don't want you to miss it.
I sometimes struggle with how to properly respond to God's magnitude in a world bent on ignoring or merely tolerating Him. But know this: God will not be tolerated. He instructs us to worship and fear Him.
Go back and reread the last two paragraphs. Close your email if you need to, and meditate on the almighty One who dwells in unapproachable light, the glorious One.
Reflection Questions
- How does it make you feel to reflect on the awe-inspiring majesty of God? How does it change your understanding of prayer?
- Why do you think it's so easy for us to lose sight of God's unfathomable power?
- What is the value of contemplating God's greatness? What can you do to make this reflection a regular part of your week?"
This is one of those "I knew all this" moments and yet for some reason, only now, is it making since. Simply put, I have problems. Some pretty serious ones. I claim to trust Christ with my salvation and letting that go with Him, yet I can't seem to for things I can see in this life. Yet, He has all the hairs of my head counted. He knows as much about me, my problems, and how to solve them as He does about all the universe. Every detail of the galaxies out there. I still can't wrap my head around it. All I can see is that my check account is below 1000$ and I still have bills to clear and don't get paid until next Monday. I'm freaking out thinking of more coming as they will. Each month something keeps happening. Something with the house, something with the cars, then theres getting the baby on our insurance which is going to send it way up, etc. Yet, God knows this. He knows we need these needs met. He knows how he'll do it. But because I can't see it, I get stressed. The change Mr. Chan is challenging in this, is what I would love to have in my life.
before me, the world behind me.
