Who hung the stars in the sky? How does a kernel of grain contain the necessary instruction to regrow? And how do the plants know when to set seed?
Growing up and living on a farm has allowed me to often ponder these kinds of questions. Take a walk on a clear, calm night and gaze up at the brilliant stars, or if you’re lucky that evening, maybe you’ll even get a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Watch the daily changes as a newly-planted field of grain emerges through the soil with each growing row doing the same for as far as the eye can see. Wade through a field of ripe durum that is ready for harvest and watch it wave in the wind. How does this kind of splendor happen with each and every farming season?
My high school physics teacher always said, “The smartest people in the world don’t know everything; they just know WHERE to find it.” I may not have all the answers, but I know where to find them. So where can you find answers to these tough questions? The oldest, most historically proven book there is: The Bible. There are some specific verses about how God’s glory is woven into nature, and you can find them when you open up the Book of Life.
“And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars – all the forces of heaven – don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth” – Deuteronomy 4:19.
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry” – Isaiah 55:10.
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-2.
A time to die? Yes, this inevitably happens to us all. And although you have seen the sun and moon take their place each day and night, you are not guaranteed to see it happen again tomorrow. Do you have your eternity taken care of? I challenge you to think about God’s gift of salvation. It is not costly – it’s actually free!
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved” – Romans 10:9-10.
Do you trust the things of this world to take care of your eternity – money, possessions, fame, status, or leaders of other ‘religions’ who have succumbed to death? Or will you put your trust in the same God who put the stars in the sky and faithfully brings those seeds to life each season? If the Lord is faithful to a tiny little seed, just think about how much he cares about you and your final dwelling place.
– Glenn Pederson
