Hi friends! I'm back today with something I hope can encourage you as it has done for me. Whether it's something I've recently read, something I've been meditating on, something that's been laid on my heart, I always want to share. Y'all know my motto is if I can encourage just one other person, it's worth sharing! I think one of the biggest reminders we should pass on to each other is that we're never alone. God did not intend for us to walk this life alone. Not only do we have a caring, loving Heavenly Father to hold our hands, but we also have each other. With that, isn't it a beautiful thing that we can come together, pray for one another, encourage one another and more. Well I have something today that I hope will encourage you.
Something that was laid on my heart over these past few months is the idea of just how big our God really is. Although this is really too much to even fathom, it has greatly helped me when walking through waters that are just too strong for me to walk through without holding tight to One who promised me that He will be with me. In other words, God-size tasks that we cannot take on by ourselves. And again, God did not intend for us to walk through them without His help (Isaiah 41:13, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 121:2, Psalm 46:10, just to name a few). What a beautiful thing that is! When things feel impossible, it's amazing to remember that nothing is too big for God and with him all things are possible. But what has helped me understand how capable our God really is, is to think on how big he really is. I feel like nothing exemplifies this more than creation, which was especially put into perspective for me when I read Psalm 148, better known as the "Creation Psalm."
In this, the Psalmist takes us through a list of creations, many of them being too large for us to even fathom. The heavens and heights above, all his angles and heavenly hosts, the sun, the moon, all the stars, the great sea creatures, the ocean depths, stormy winds, mountains and more. But what caught my attention was the fact that all of these. Every single star, all the great sea creatures, the sun, the moon and everything are to praise him. Not only did he create them, but they also praise him. Wow! After reading this, I wanted to just think through the vastness, how large, how powerful some of these creations are. Y'all may already know some of these facts, but I'll share some of what I found:
The sun is said to have a diameter of roughly 870,000 miles, could hold about 960,000 spherical earths and makes up 99.8% of the total mass of the solar system. But if you think that's large, the sun is actually small compared to some other stars. One for example is Arcturus. Arcturus is said to be roughly 25 times greater in diameter to our sun, and to the eye it shines 113 times brighter than our sun. That's hard to even fathom! And yet that's not even the largest star. It's just one of all the stars that praise him. Next, the number of stars. I'll just go ahead and say, it's a number I quite honestly can't even process. A number that is given is to be just about as many as all the grains of sand on all the beaches on our planet (we'll come back to this). Again, wow! And they all praise him because "at his command they were created." (Psalm 148:5).
Next the Psalm mentions creations on Earth, which again, just brings me to another wow. First, all the "great sea creatures and all ocean depths." From Madeline's love for sea creatures, I could throw out quite a few facts for y'all, but let's just mention the blue whale which is said to grow up to 82 feet in length, and its tongue alone is said to weigh four tons. If a blue whale isn't a "great sea creature" I don't know what would be! Next, just think on that phrase "ocean depths." I don't now about y'all, but deep water scares me like none other. Especially deep, dark water. I was playing in the ocean with Madeline on our float last week. We were in a tide pool which was pretty deep (for a tide pool haha). We hit an area where it was about to my chest and y'all I freaked out haha! Not even that deep. But if we really want to think on the ocean depths, let's just look at the deepest part of the ocean, the Challenger Deep, located at the southern end of the Mariana Trench, being roughly 36,200 feet deep (7ish miles). I also find it mind-blowing that with all we know about the ocean, all the creatures, all its depths, just roughly 5% of the oceans have been studied. It's said that 95% of what's out there has yet to be discovered. I think on that vastness and again, wow! But let's continue. The Psalm goes on to talk about characteristics of the weather. Lightning, hail, snow and clouds...forces that are too strong for us and completely out of man's control. Yet, they praise him. Then it takes us to think on the "mountains and all hills". And yes the first mountain that comes to mind for me is the tallest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest, reaching an elevation of 29,029 feet.
When I think on creation, it makes me feel pretty small haha. Last week I felt like I truly experienced those moments. One night on our vacation, I took Madeline out for a little beach walk at night. We had our flashlights and we were just going to venture down to the beach. We got down there, and goodness there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was very dark out, you couldn't see the waves (only hear them) and the twinkling stars were quite the sight! It was incredible! I grabbed Madeline in my arms and we just stared up at the sky. I told her "Madeline, isn't it amazing and so beautiful to see? And just think, God created each and every one of these. He knows the very number of stars and 'calls them each by name.'" To say we felt small would be an understatement. And what was even more amazing was that in my quiet time the next morning, that verse (not knowing) was part of my scheduled reading. To see all those twinkling stars with Madeline the night before and to read that very verse in my study hours following was no coincidence to me. It left me with such a feeling of just knowing how much he cares. Another one of these moments for me were the times of just sitting on the beach, feeling the breeze and watching the waves. I felt so at peace, and honestly, it felt like the first time in months that I could not just emotionally but also physically be still. I just sat there, thinking on what an amazing, awesome Creator we serve. Our loving Heavenly Father that not only created the great sea creatures, ocean depths and all the stars, yet he knows the number of hairs on my head. It was such a moment of peace and just knowing that I truly can trust him with my life and Madeline's life. That I know he cares...about every finite detail. Which leads me to something else. The Psalm doesn't just stop there with these big, awesome creations. It takes things to a much smaller scale as well.
The Psalmist then mentions animals, "small creatures" and "flying birds". "Kings", "Princes", "All rulers on earth", "men...women...and children". To think that we went from the heights of the heavens, to the great ocean sea creatures and depths, now to small creatures and flying birds. From a blue whale to let's say a sparrow. That's quite a change. But what this tells me is how awesome is it that yes, our God not only controls the bigger picture, he also cares about the tiniest, smallest, finite details as well. And what a comfort that is to you and me. I think it's so easy to look at things on a bigger picture and goodness have we all seen that in our world today. But again, we are all facing our own personal struggles as well. With this, it can be so easy to walk through our struggles and feel like, how could this be of importance when compared to everything going on right now?! But guess what, it is. You matter, your circumstances matter, every finite detail of your life matters, because you are precious in God's sight. How awesome is it to think that the same God that created the sun, the moon, Arcturus, the blue whale, the Challenger Deep, Mount Everest and so much more, is that same God that created you and me. And never think for once that he does not care and that every finite detail of your life does not matter to him.
As I mentioned above, it's amazing to think on a larger scale then bring things down to a smaller scale. It just tells me of how much he cares/knows about every tiny detail. What a personal, near and present help he is. Just the very fact that he created all the stars in existence, yet he knows them each by name (Psalm 147:4, Isaiah 40:26). Again, it's so difficult to even fathom this, and I've even questioned it at times, but how can God really know what's going on with each of us at all times and be in control?! How can he know everything?! But Psalm 139 tells us that his thoughts are so vast, they if we were to count them, they would "outnumber the grains of sand" (Psalm 139:18). Just type that number into your browser, and again, a number we cannot even fathom. God tells us that his thoughts are not our thoughts, and neither are our ways his ways (Isaiah 55:8). Psalm 139 continues to tell us that he searches us and knows us. He knows when we sit and when we stand, he is familiar with all our ways. Before we even speak a word, he knows what we are thinking. Such knowledge is absolutely too great for us to even fathom! Psalm 139 continues that even if we go up to the "highest heavens" or down to the "deepest depths", "rise on the wings of the dawn" or "settle on the far side of the sea", even there his hand will guide us and hold us (Psalm 139:1-10). When I read this, those questions I had are canceled out with the truth of again, how big our God really is, yet how close and present he is.
Let's continue with things on a smaller scale. Luke 12:7 tells us that even the hairs on our head are numbered. Again, he knows the number of stars (not that stars are small, but from our view, they certainly look small) and calls them each by name (Psalm 147:4). He "knew of all our days, before even one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:16). I love verses that talk about the sparrow. If God cares about even the tiniest little sparrow and not one of them will fall apart from his care, how much more does he care for us?! He tells us that we are worth "more than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:31). I love how God's Word talk about "faith as small as a mustard seed" (Matthew 17:20). But it continues to tell us, with faith as small as a mustard seed, we can do what? Move mountains! Again, I love that comparison of small to big and with even the smallest amount of faith, we can do big things! Same with us, don't we feel so small compared to the ocean, the tallest mountain, underneath a starry sky? But with God all things are possible and although we may be small, although each of our lives may seem like a tiny speck, we each have a story, the finite details of our lives God is working together for our good and his glory. Do y'all see where I'm going with this? So, just when you start to feel like your story does not seem significant in the midst of everything going on, how can God possibly keep up with all of us...just remember that every tiny aspect of your life matters, and it matters to your loving Heavenly Father.
The sun is said to have a diameter of roughly 870,000 miles, could hold about 960,000 spherical earths and makes up 99.8% of the total mass of the solar system. But if you think that's large, the sun is actually small compared to some other stars. One for example is Arcturus. Arcturus is said to be roughly 25 times greater in diameter to our sun, and to the eye it shines 113 times brighter than our sun. That's hard to even fathom! And yet that's not even the largest star. It's just one of all the stars that praise him. Next, the number of stars. I'll just go ahead and say, it's a number I quite honestly can't even process. A number that is given is to be just about as many as all the grains of sand on all the beaches on our planet (we'll come back to this). Again, wow! And they all praise him because "at his command they were created." (Psalm 148:5).
Next the Psalm mentions creations on Earth, which again, just brings me to another wow. First, all the "great sea creatures and all ocean depths." From Madeline's love for sea creatures, I could throw out quite a few facts for y'all, but let's just mention the blue whale which is said to grow up to 82 feet in length, and its tongue alone is said to weigh four tons. If a blue whale isn't a "great sea creature" I don't know what would be! Next, just think on that phrase "ocean depths." I don't now about y'all, but deep water scares me like none other. Especially deep, dark water. I was playing in the ocean with Madeline on our float last week. We were in a tide pool which was pretty deep (for a tide pool haha). We hit an area where it was about to my chest and y'all I freaked out haha! Not even that deep. But if we really want to think on the ocean depths, let's just look at the deepest part of the ocean, the Challenger Deep, located at the southern end of the Mariana Trench, being roughly 36,200 feet deep (7ish miles). I also find it mind-blowing that with all we know about the ocean, all the creatures, all its depths, just roughly 5% of the oceans have been studied. It's said that 95% of what's out there has yet to be discovered. I think on that vastness and again, wow! But let's continue. The Psalm goes on to talk about characteristics of the weather. Lightning, hail, snow and clouds...forces that are too strong for us and completely out of man's control. Yet, they praise him. Then it takes us to think on the "mountains and all hills". And yes the first mountain that comes to mind for me is the tallest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest, reaching an elevation of 29,029 feet.
When I think on creation, it makes me feel pretty small haha. Last week I felt like I truly experienced those moments. One night on our vacation, I took Madeline out for a little beach walk at night. We had our flashlights and we were just going to venture down to the beach. We got down there, and goodness there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was very dark out, you couldn't see the waves (only hear them) and the twinkling stars were quite the sight! It was incredible! I grabbed Madeline in my arms and we just stared up at the sky. I told her "Madeline, isn't it amazing and so beautiful to see? And just think, God created each and every one of these. He knows the very number of stars and 'calls them each by name.'" To say we felt small would be an understatement. And what was even more amazing was that in my quiet time the next morning, that verse (not knowing) was part of my scheduled reading. To see all those twinkling stars with Madeline the night before and to read that very verse in my study hours following was no coincidence to me. It left me with such a feeling of just knowing how much he cares. Another one of these moments for me were the times of just sitting on the beach, feeling the breeze and watching the waves. I felt so at peace, and honestly, it felt like the first time in months that I could not just emotionally but also physically be still. I just sat there, thinking on what an amazing, awesome Creator we serve. Our loving Heavenly Father that not only created the great sea creatures, ocean depths and all the stars, yet he knows the number of hairs on my head. It was such a moment of peace and just knowing that I truly can trust him with my life and Madeline's life. That I know he cares...about every finite detail. Which leads me to something else. The Psalm doesn't just stop there with these big, awesome creations. It takes things to a much smaller scale as well.
The Psalmist then mentions animals, "small creatures" and "flying birds". "Kings", "Princes", "All rulers on earth", "men...women...and children". To think that we went from the heights of the heavens, to the great ocean sea creatures and depths, now to small creatures and flying birds. From a blue whale to let's say a sparrow. That's quite a change. But what this tells me is how awesome is it that yes, our God not only controls the bigger picture, he also cares about the tiniest, smallest, finite details as well. And what a comfort that is to you and me. I think it's so easy to look at things on a bigger picture and goodness have we all seen that in our world today. But again, we are all facing our own personal struggles as well. With this, it can be so easy to walk through our struggles and feel like, how could this be of importance when compared to everything going on right now?! But guess what, it is. You matter, your circumstances matter, every finite detail of your life matters, because you are precious in God's sight. How awesome is it to think that the same God that created the sun, the moon, Arcturus, the blue whale, the Challenger Deep, Mount Everest and so much more, is that same God that created you and me. And never think for once that he does not care and that every finite detail of your life does not matter to him.
As I mentioned above, it's amazing to think on a larger scale then bring things down to a smaller scale. It just tells me of how much he cares/knows about every tiny detail. What a personal, near and present help he is. Just the very fact that he created all the stars in existence, yet he knows them each by name (Psalm 147:4, Isaiah 40:26). Again, it's so difficult to even fathom this, and I've even questioned it at times, but how can God really know what's going on with each of us at all times and be in control?! How can he know everything?! But Psalm 139 tells us that his thoughts are so vast, they if we were to count them, they would "outnumber the grains of sand" (Psalm 139:18). Just type that number into your browser, and again, a number we cannot even fathom. God tells us that his thoughts are not our thoughts, and neither are our ways his ways (Isaiah 55:8). Psalm 139 continues to tell us that he searches us and knows us. He knows when we sit and when we stand, he is familiar with all our ways. Before we even speak a word, he knows what we are thinking. Such knowledge is absolutely too great for us to even fathom! Psalm 139 continues that even if we go up to the "highest heavens" or down to the "deepest depths", "rise on the wings of the dawn" or "settle on the far side of the sea", even there his hand will guide us and hold us (Psalm 139:1-10). When I read this, those questions I had are canceled out with the truth of again, how big our God really is, yet how close and present he is.
Let's continue with things on a smaller scale. Luke 12:7 tells us that even the hairs on our head are numbered. Again, he knows the number of stars (not that stars are small, but from our view, they certainly look small) and calls them each by name (Psalm 147:4). He "knew of all our days, before even one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:16). I love verses that talk about the sparrow. If God cares about even the tiniest little sparrow and not one of them will fall apart from his care, how much more does he care for us?! He tells us that we are worth "more than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:31). I love how God's Word talk about "faith as small as a mustard seed" (Matthew 17:20). But it continues to tell us, with faith as small as a mustard seed, we can do what? Move mountains! Again, I love that comparison of small to big and with even the smallest amount of faith, we can do big things! Same with us, don't we feel so small compared to the ocean, the tallest mountain, underneath a starry sky? But with God all things are possible and although we may be small, although each of our lives may seem like a tiny speck, we each have a story, the finite details of our lives God is working together for our good and his glory. Do y'all see where I'm going with this? So, just when you start to feel like your story does not seem significant in the midst of everything going on, how can God possibly keep up with all of us...just remember that every tiny aspect of your life matters, and it matters to your loving Heavenly Father.
Yes he created big things, little things, all things, and he cares about YOU and every tiny detail of YOU. Next time you see a little sparrow, let that remind you of God’s love for you! And if you are currently walking through waters that seem to rough, deep and scary for you to walk through on your own. If you feel like a tiny sparrow tossed into the depths of the sea, reach up and grab the hand of your Heavenly Father who created things too great for us to fathom yet he knows the very number of hairs on your head.
"When you pass through waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
Isaiah 43:2
And with that verse above, if you caught my last bit of encouragement on believing, think back to what I said about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Just as Isaiah 43 tells us that when we walk through the fire, we will not be burned. And not just that, believe that when you come out on the other side, not even your clothes will smell like fire.
I hope this has encouraged y'all today! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read :) Love y'all!
