“God made man small and the universe big to say something about himself.” – John Piper

Have you been looking at some of the pictures of space and stars and galaxies that are being captured by the James Webb Space Telescope? They are revealing . . .

. . . the vastness of the universe – bigger than we thought it was, endless maybe.

. . . the details of the universe – like icy compounds of complex organic molecules that scientists can identify from millions of miles away.

. . . the beauty of the universe that inspires awe just because it is there in dramatic expanse and color.

Then we think about the God who created it. The creator is greater than the creation. How limitless our God must be in terms of his mind, power, and authority. The more we learn about the universe, the more we stand in awe of him.

And that leads to something else:

When we stop to think about how great God is, we begin to understand that we can’t demand anything of him. We can’t control or manipulate him. And we are wise not to be angry at him or disappointed in him. Who are we compared to God? Who are we to question him? To second guess him? The universe, as it unfolds before us, invites us to do one thing: Worship the one who created it.

We will never completely understand God and his nature, but the more we allow ourselves to ponder his greatness, the more we will learn to depend on him and trust him and, eventually, to love him. We don’t have to understand everything. We just have to receive what he offers of himself and his gifts. And that is enough.

“These are just the beginning of all that he does, merely a whisper of his power.” – Job 26:14

Photo of Saturn from NASA’s website, taken from the James Webb Space Telescope, 2024.