O Lord, of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them?
Of what importance is mankind, that you should be concerned about them? (Psalms 144:3)
Take a standard number two pencil, sharpen it to a good point, and tap the lead on a piece of paper to leave a dot. Let that .004 inch dot represent the 93 million miles from the earth to our sun. Using this scale, make a row of 216,400 dots to represent the distance to the nearest star, Proxima Centauri. To map the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy, draw 310 miles of dots side by side. The edge of the universe will be depicted when you line dots up one third of the way to the sun.
It’s necessary for me use dots when comparing distances in space, so I can make some attempt at grasping the ginormous scope of God’s governance. Realizing he holds together over 500 billion galaxies of every imaginable shape and color, I see that the word awesome only begins to describe him.
The most inconceivable fact is not that God is sovereign over the universe, but that he is also intensely focused on my minuscule life. All that vast space, billions of other places, whirling luminous ecstasies, and he—loves—me.
Humans were created as beings of great dignity. We were meant to receive and reciprocate God’s love. That’s our grand eternal mission. Sadly, we have largely abandoned our role. No matter how debased we become, we have the potential of regaining our purpose.
The one thing I can do to receive the dignity of being loved by the one who holds the universe together is to say yes to the offer of his Son. The result gives me something different than self-esteem. It’s a holy transaction that binds me to him who is forever significant—and therefore, makes me significant. It’s God-in-me esteem.
Prayer: LORD God, through Jesus, I receive your vast significance.