Psalm 19:1 King James Version
19 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the
firmament sheweth his handywork.
Big City Astronomy
Great astronomical observatories tend to be on high
mountains far away from the dwellings of people, with good reason—city lights.
Go out in a parking lot sometime and look up. It’s almost impossible to tell whether
it is cloudy or clear. At the right times, you may see the moon.
Last week my brother sent me a text message with his first picture
of two dots of light in a dark sky between two palm trees. The upper one
(brighter) is Venus and the other Jupiter. On Sabbath morning, I went to my
bedroom window before 6:00 a.m. and could see the dots, one nestled on the top
electric line. I have blue circles in the second picture, around the dots to
help you find them. That one was almost too late to be able to see them. The out-of-focus
square lines are the mosquito netting on my bedroom window. I took the last
picture at 5:00 this morning (August 11). Do you see how close the planets appear
to be to each other? The picture was highly adjusted by my phone to make it
look more like daylight. The planets are close together above the fencepost. From here on out,
you will be able to see both of them before sunrise, but they will be
separating steadily. It is major chore to see God’s handiwork in today’s
illuminated world.
The sad fact is that today’s light successfully obscures
most astronomical events to us living in town. For many years I used to take a
group of my students up to Las Vegas to a major computer show. On our way home
we would stop at a casino and buy supper. Then we would caravan down I-15
freeway in the dark, I would often exit the freeway in the middle of the Mojave
desert, miles from any lights. The caravan would follow me off the freeway.
When we stopped in pitch darkness, the students would all run up to my car as I
got out, enquiring: “What’s wrong Dr. Clarke?” “Why did you stop?”
When I had their attention and their eyes had adjusted to
the darkness, I would point skyward and say “look up!” Expressions of amazement
would escape their mouths. These city slickers had never before seen the glory
of God’s vast starry heavens.
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host
of them by the breath of His mouth.” Psalm 33:6.
I know this is easier written than done, but go out into a very dark night miles away from all city lights, and take you time looking at the marvelous astronomical handiwork of our caring Creator. Spend 20 minutes or more letting the peace of God flood your soul.
Jesus our loving savior will become more real to you, after
all He is the one who created this universe: “In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made
that was made.” John 1: 1-3 Take your mind off of the emaciated, persecuted, haggard,
bloody star of “The Passion” And become astounded by the omniscient, omnipresent,
omnipotent, omnibenevolent, almighty God—Jesus Christ.
His redeeming grace is freely offered to you, and His
steadfast love and invincible power will see you through to the home He has
prepared for you.
