A Big Blue Marble

By Glen Elliott     Lord willing, by the time you read this Artemis II will have made her way back to Earth. What a perspective to see the Earth from space! Yet, when compared to the vastness of the universe or even our own solar system, we have hardly made it past our own front porch. This big blue marble we call home is, by comparison, infinitesimally small. When seen from over 200,000 miles away, it appears as large as a basketball held at arm’s length.     As a shepherd and, then later, as a fugitive fleeing from King Saul, David must have spent many nights pondering the glories of the celestial luminaries which dot the evening sky. This is evident in the book of Psalms where he writes, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). The perceptive heart can hear creation’s message detailing the glory of God. All of this, He created out of nothing. “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:9). We are humbled by the awesome greatness of God as expressed through creation. David spoke to this in His praise to God, saying, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4). We are but a speck on that big blue marble we call Earth. Yet, we are comforted in knowing that we are His special creation and that all this He has designed for us.     Our God is not far away, but near (Jeremiah 23:23). Paul told the Athenians that He is “not far from each one of us…” (Acts 17:27). God knows everything about us. He understands our “thoughts from afar” and is “intimately acquainted with all [our] ways” (Psalm 139:2-3). We are not an afterthought in the mind of God. His interest in us predates even creation itself. Our value, then, is not measured by a big blue marble; but by a big brown cross stained with the blood of Jesus. At times, we may feel small -- just a speck on a big blue marble -- but, “He surrounds [us] with favor as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12).

- Glen Elliott preaches for the Greenbrier church of Christ in Greenbrier, AR. He may be contacted through the congregation's website - https://www.gbcofc.com/