Humbled by the Wonder Who is God

The Word of God is so wonderful! I was just reading Psalm 147 today, and it so blessed me. First of all my mind was drawn to verses 3 and 4:
3 He heals the broken hearted
    and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.

Incredible. The God of the Universe cares about us as individuals. He cares about our wounds and broken hearts. We spend most of our lives hiding our inner struggles from others. We are ashamed, and we fear others would judge us because of our struggles. But they are known to God. And He cares! We do not have to hide from Him. We cannot hide from Him.

And the God who cares intimately about each of the almost 7.5 billion people on this planet is the same God who has numbered what we cannot number—the stars! The Psalm says He calls each star by name.  How many stars are there? A conservative estimate is that the number is 2 followed by 23 zeros! (two hundred quadrillion). According to Psalm 147, God knows the number, and God has named each star.

So then what is amazing is that the God who created and knows the infinite expanses of the universe, also cares about the hurts of each and every human being. Isaiah 53, in speaking of God’s servant who was to come, (whom the New Testament says is Jesus, God’s Son), says that “he took up our pain and bore our suffering” (verse 4), that “he was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities” and that “by his wounds we are healed.” (verse 5).

The One through whom each person was created has named each star! The One through whom black holes were made bore our sins and sicknesses on the cross. The One who sees past, present, and future in one glance has, on the cross, suffered wounds that heal the cosmos.

Verses 5 and 6 go on:
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.
6 The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.

God’s power is incalculable, and God’s knowledge and understanding are unlimited. This God is against wickedness and evil, and He will judge them.

What attitude does God appreciate? Humility. What attitude does God oppose? Pride. When we think of His greatness and when we think of His great mercy and love, how can our response be anything but awe and humility? 

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7.

Winfield Casey Jones is a retired pastor. He can be reached at wrjones2002@gmail.com. This column appeared last week in the Pearland and Friendswood Reporter News.


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