In this day
and age, we have a pretty good mental grasp of things – at least we
think we do. We can understand that a light year is the distance
that light travels in that span of time. We can simply start
calculating the distance of that trip by understanding that light
travels at 186,000 miles per second. Let’s see, 60 seconds in a
minute X 60 minutes in an hour X 24 hours in a day, so we arrive at a
distance of 16,070,400,000 miles for the first day. You can see
we’re way out of the state, and no restrooms in sight. If we
multiply that first day’s distance X 365 days in a year we come up
w… WOW! The side of my calculator just blew out! Bad
example.
Maybe I had better try this: Let’s say that we have purchased a
beach ball that is about 27.3 inches in diameter. Fascinated by
its multiple colors, and size, we observe it while eating dinner.
As we start to take another bite of English peas, we can’t help but
make a mental comparison. Intrigued, we later place both the
beach ball, and a lone English pea, on the table. Quite a
difference in size for objects that bear the same similar shape.
By comparison, how would you feel about living on something as small as
that pea? In reality, by comparison, you do. We all
do. In relation to the size of the sun, the earth is about the
size of an English pea. Hey, Dude! Man, I never thought
about that!
Since the sun is 92,870,000 miles from the earth, we tend to see it as
being about the size of the moon. Riding a light beam, we could
run over to the sun in about 5.75 days. Of course, that would not
only be stupid, it would be dangerous. We would need to travel
only at night so we wouldn’t burn up. The sun’s diameter is
866,000 miles, compared to the earth’s approximate 8,000 mile
diameter. Cool! Not really. Actually the sun’s
temperature is in the range of 5750 degrees Celsius, or 10,446 degrees
Fahrenheit. Since the ovens on our kitchen ranges are marked in
degrees Fahrenheit, let’s use 10,446 as a comparative figure for the
temperature of the sun. Now we can certainly agree that if we
were cooking brownies on the sun, it would be highly important for us
to remove them from the heat at the exact time specified in the recipe.
Actually, in checking my bearings, I’m getting a little off course
here. Sorry.
When I retired several years ago, I had no concerns about boredom with
all the interests that I have, but a strange thing occurred about two
weeks into this new realm of not having to suit out. I recall
that I was home alone, vacuuming the carpet in the den, and I began to
wonder what all the accumulated knowledge and skills from 52 years of
work really meant at this point in my life. Surely one does not
throw all that out with the trash! Deep inside I knew that all
that experience still meant something, but what? With vacuum
still in hand, I asked God to show me what I was to do with that
knowledge and experience. I know that I’m frequently pretty dense
and I often sort through God’s response and wonder if I’m really sure
of what I am to do, or if I am manipulating His answer in some manner
because of human nature. I asked Him to make it clear. I
didn’t want to have to question His response. Just make the
answer clear and simple, so that I know for sure.
Two days later I received a phone call from my ex-boss, a man for whom
I have much respect. He asked me to meet him for lunch, saying he
had something that he wanted to talk with me about. I had no clue
as to what we would discuss, but I met him at the prescribed
time. He revealed that he wanted me to do a project for him, as
an independent consultant. He estimated that it would take about
three months. The nature of the project had such potential for
improving employer/employee relations that there was no way I could
refuse.
The following morning I sat eating breakfast alone and reviewing the
previous day’s events, and the unbelievably quick response to my
prayer. I have had many prayers answered, and it’s always stirred
me somewhere deep within, but this time was different! I had
never thought of it in quite the manner as I did as this time, but I
had prayed to the Maker of the Universe, and He heard me, and He cared,
and He clearly answered, as I had requested Him to do! My mind
had far passed the distance of the sun, a mere speck in God’s immense
creation, and the planets, and was in awe with as much of the entire
universe as I could understand. Right there in God’s great
vastness of space, He heard me, and took the time to respond! My
eyes filled with tears and I’ll have to admit that then, I cried in
humility.
Today, here in 2005, Beth and I went to a discount sale at a book and
record store. We both found some treasures, and among mine was an
audio tape of some of Bill and Gloria Gaither’s inspirational
music. As we drove back home, we were listening to that
particular tape. One of the selections came on entitled, He
Touched Me. The Gaither’s had written that song many years ago
and I was familiar with it. There were a group of people singing
together on this cut, and unexpectedly I felt a chill run up my
back! He Touched ME, and my life has never been the same! I
am so thankful that as a teen age boy I felt God’s loving call on my
heart, and that I gladly surrendered.
Like the example of traveling a distance in light years, I don’t
understand this either. God gives each of us free reign over our
own lives. I find it scary to read of people in the Bible (and
even people I know) who turned down God’s offer of eternal life through
his Son, Jesus Christ. The scary part is the fact that Christ
took them at their word, or accepted their decision, and never bothered
them again. Even knowing what eternity has in store for them, He
didn’t beg or plead. He moved on to someone who knew they were a
sinner and totally lost without Him. Where my mind gets foggy is
the fact that God knew each of us before the beginning of time and even
though he gives us unconditional control of our life and beliefs, He
knew back then who would hear that still, small voice, and accept the
greatest gift in the universe.
God found a way to reconcile us with Him after we broke fellowship with
Him. It was costly. It required the spilling of His only
Son’s blood, and unbelievable suffering – for sinful man. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ; for He chose us in
Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His
sight. (Ephesians 1:3-4) Never experienced a miracle?
There’s one, simply for the taking!
He Touched ME and I can never, never repay for the blessings that have
come my way, both in this life, and those blessings yet to come after
time itself ends. Without Christ’s spilled blood to wash away ALL
our sins and imperfections we are forever, hopelessly lost.
Without that holy blood covering, God says that our very best efforts
to work our way into the kingdom appear to Him, not as dirty rags, but
as filthy rags! If the Holy Spirit still stirs your heart when an
invitation is given at church, you are indeed fortunate, for God tells
us in advance that he will not always make us aware of His presence,
His love, and His calling to accept His gift of eternal life.
There is but one way to come to God, and that is through His Son, who
gave His all that we could enjoy eternal life with Him.
Almighty God, Maker of the heavens and earth knew who I was, and he
loved me in spite of who I am, and the mistakes that I have made, and
will make in the future and He Touched
Me!
