Trivia:
Well good morning all. The correct answer to the percentage of an apple's volume of air is 23%. This combination of fruit and air are the cause of the enjoyment we gain from eating this fruit.
On the lighter side:
Do you know why golfers wear two pairs of pants? Well of course it's in case they get a hole in one. Ohhhh! That's a holy cause, right?
Challenge:
Psalm 8:3-5 "When I consider Your heavens, the work of your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that you visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor."
David is reminding us of the absolute splendor that the heavens display, this is especially amazing in the early evening as the clouds, and cooling sky join together. Then as the darkness falls and the stars shine forth, I particularly remember the amazing presence of these billions of stars being so intense, when sitting in the desert, far from the lights of civilization, or when touring in Alaska.
I remember the first time we took a bus load of teen boys from our youth group in Anaheim out into the desert, and as we spread out our sleeping bags and because of the total enveloping of darkness how they became aware of the elaberate show of stars. We read this passage and we reflected on the absolute beauty that the sky declares to us.
Then in our evenings conversation we discussed how they back in class remembered their science teachers denying God and His creative works. I reminded them that this was no new experience, of how in Exodus 8:19 though God in the third plague spread lice to men and beast and though the magicians attributed this to the finger of God, and that they were unable to duplicate this, yet still Pharoh's heart was hard.
In the same way despite this nightly display of God's power which is found in the stars, still many men refuse to recognize the very existence of God. Then the Bible goes on to remind us of God's visiting our world many times.
When God appeared to Israel and produced a cloud to evade Egypt's army, who were set on returning the Jews to slavery to them. Or Oh yes, He provided them with food and water each day, as was needed for 40 years. How about through God coming to them in the wilderness and handing down His laws to bring order and blessing to them.
Or how about the snakes that bit them in the wilderness and all they had to do was look to the image Moses had lifted up in order to be healed, but some refused to act in faith and so they died. And ultimately sending His son to die for our sin and set us free.
Just think He has showered on us with His love in many ways, but certainly by creating us just below the angels and then He crowned us with His glory. By sending His Son to bring us salvation, and offer these reminders of the extent of His love for us. This truly is an amazing display of His power and of His desire to draw us to Him.
Now remember again how He demonstrated His love, through the display of a cloud halting the Egyptian army from returning the Jews back to slavery. In His providing water and food to the nation as they journeyed to the promised land.
Through providing a healing from the deadly snake bites, through just looking up to the image Moses had lifted up, in reminder of how Jesus was going to bring salvation.
Through appearing in the wilderness to bring them His laws which brought order and blessings on them as a nation.
Through protecting them from the fiercest, most powerful armies as they sought to return to the land of promise, and raise up the banner of Jehovah in His promised land.
SO GO WITH GOD my saint, for He continually reminds us of His desire to crown us with His glory in our walk of life. We are called to share His glory with all of those in our life. Those who reject His loving touch in their lives, those who are living in despair, and yes those whose life are upside down. Our great commission is to let His glory shine out in our life. When our life is most difficult that is when He desires to shine out the most.