Look at the heavens, Come to Him and be satisfied

Have you ever felt extremely thirsty and yet you did not have access to water? What did you do when you finally found something to quench your thirst? I guess your answer is, “I drank and was satisfied.” Thirsting for water can be a daunting experience for people without access to it. Did you know that our souls can also thirst for the presence of God just like we desire to be satisfied when we are thirty? In Isaiah 55, God gives an invitation to the people to come to Him and have their spiritual emptiness filled by His provision. The clarion call is popular in evangelistic messages:
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.” (Isaiah 55:1‭-‬2)

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)

How can God satisfy our spiritual hunger? The presence of God fills our hungry souls. In fact, human beings have insatiable needs and no politician can completely satisfy our souls. The emptiness in our lives can only be filled with the presence of God. How does God do that? First, we have the responsibility to seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near (Isaiah 55:6). God has a plan to dwell in humanity. He has made a way to abide in us. Through Jesus, we have a personal relationship with God. No matter how far we have gone from Him, God is ever willing to return to us when we seek Him. God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not ours. Why will God choose to forgive us our sins when we turn to Him? He loves us (John 3:16). If you are still struggling to comprehend God’s ways, look at the heavens. God says: 
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:8‭-‬11)

God’s love is so high that we cannot jump over it. He used the heavens, rain, snow, and planting to show us how His word nourishes and feeds us. Every word spoken by God will not return to God empty but will fulfill the purpose for which God sent that word. No matter how far we might have gone from God, He wants us to come to Him and He will satisfy our souls. What do we do when we return to Him? The word of God says: “Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” (Isaiah 55:7)
When we return to God, He gives us reasons to rejoice. He promised the Israelites that when they return to Him, He will do this:
“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.” (Isaiah 55:12‭-‬13)

God used nature to reveal His desire to satisfy our souls. His love for us is higher than the mountains but we can only experience it when we come to Him. It is a personal decision and we have the sole responsibility to either accept or decline. 

The birds and the flowers are preaching… Can you hear?

Recently, our family witnessed a show dubbed “Birds of prey” at the African Lion Safari. The very trained birds displayed tactical skills of catching food, searching for food and looking for food. We were all amazed that those wild birds were trained enough to respond to instructions from their trainers. However, in the wild, birds of prey are not trained by any Safari trainers. They are not given portions of food, they are not given water and they do not live in sheltered structures. How then do the birds survive? Unlike other animals that store food in the barns in anticipation of seasonal changes, birds do not. So, how do they survive throughout the year? How do birds survive harsh weather conditions? Who provides birds with food all year round?

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matthew 6:26)

Our response to these questions might trigger a scientific explanation about the nature of birds. However, before we delve into science, let’s consider these: the Creator of birds has made provision for their survival. Their Creator feeds them, clothes them and ensures that they remain where they can thrive at every season. What of the flowers that grow in the field? Who designed their beautiful raiment? Why are roses so beautiful and full of positive vibes? Who designed the perfect features of roses? Both the birds of the air and flowers in the field point to a Creator. Jesus made profound statements in Matthew 6:26, 28-29: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”

These verses remind us that the Creator provides for His creation. Thus, when we see a bird and a rose, we should be reminded of their Maker. Yes, they should point us to God! Similarly, all other creation indicates the presence of a Creator. Growing up in a small community in Ghana, I heard stories about different gods who are responsible for different creation. The river god was responsible for the river and so are other territorial gods. I believe this phenomenon occurs in different parts of the world. The God of the Bible is responsible for all creation. He made everything in heaven and on earth. He is not a territorial god. He is the God over all and He is revealed in all His creation. As Romans 1:20 states, people are without excuse because creation reveals the invisible qualities of God; His eternal power and divine nature. Creation preaches about God each day, but if you fail to see the invisible God through His visible creation, you will have no excuse on that Day!

The Creator reveals Himself through nature

Aurora borealis is a beautiful phenomenon in the sky that causes beautiful lights in the sky. It happens in specific geopolitical zones. According to Wikipedia, “Auroras are the result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by the solar wind. Major disturbances result from enhancements in the speed of the solar wind from coronal holes and coronal mass ejections. These disturbances alter the trajectories of charged particles in the magnetospheric plasma.” Trust me, I didn’t understand all these definitions until I watched an Aurora borealis happening (on TV). I never gathered the courage to climb the mountains in Norway to watch as I lived further south. Thankfully, I still have the opportunity to watch it happen while living in Canada. If looking at Auroras on earth is fascinating, imagine watching it from space? What do Auroras and all the beauty of nature tell us? 

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20) 

Whenever I consider Auroras and all the other natural phenomena that cannot be controlled by humanity, I am awed. These things could not be accidental occurrences. The arrangement of things in the atmosphere, the stratosphere, magnetosphere etc. and their coordination is amazing. The outer space is perfectly arranged so that the Earth does not miss its route during rotation or revolution. Jupiter’s rings have never been a problem for the Earth. The Sun, the biggest star in our galaxy, has never changed location. Such orderliness! What does this reveal about the Creator? Paul writing to the Church noted that; “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). The beautiful world we live in portrays God’s invisible qualities, His power and His divine nature. He is a Master designer and His skills are incomprehensible. 

The Creator reveals Himself through nature and no one has an excuse as long as they live. Our daily lives reflect His power, wisdom and creativity. The Earth rotates to give us day and night. The same Earth revolves around the sun to give us seasons. Rotation and revolution are done simultaneously but the earth is never confused. Whoever designed this must be a master of all. Of course Genesis 1: 1 lays the background: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God’s invisible qualities are seen each day when we look at creation. Unfortunately, some people worship creation and ignore the Creator. Others have no regard for creation and constantly do things that put people and things in danger. A few others ignore any possibility of a Creator and celebrate scientific discoveries better than the God who made the scientist. Yet still, others choose to worship God the Creator. Which category are you?

The Creator and the bang!

I love science and scientific research. My academic journey has been based on investigating, analyzing and making empirical theories. However, one theory has never ceased to confuse me…the big bang theory of creation. It seems to lack authenticity and verification. It looks like a series of deconcatenated information. None seem to support the other. Let’s read this explanation from Wikipedia.

“The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the earliest known periods through its subsequent large-scale form.These models offer a comprehensive explanation for a broad range of observed phenomena, including the abundance of light elements, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, and large-scale structure. The overall uniformity of the Universe, known as the flatness problem, is explained through cosmic inflation: a sudden and very rapid expansion of space during the earliest moments. However, physics currently lacks a widely accepted theory of quantum gravity that can successfully model the earliest conditions of the Big Bang.”

Can someone explain that to me? Who even caused the initial state of high density and temperature? This view of creation is being passed on to children at school and scientists keep forcing this theory to fit an unimaginable creation story. If the universe was not, and it came to being, then there is definitely a powerful Creator who brought all things together and arranged them uniformly. The uniformity of creation and the fact that humans are higher than animals shows that a standard was set at the beginning. Why don’t we walk with our heads? Why are the water bodies not in the sky? Who made the planets and arranged them in such a way that the Earth is at the right position from the Sun? Why don’t we live on Mars? Who placed the rings around Jupiter? Who gave life to humans? The Creator or the bang? Nehemiah has the answer to all these questions:

You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. (Nehemiah 9:6)

When we understand that the heavens and even the highest heavens, the starry host (a zillion of them!), the earth and everything on it (including man,animals,vegetation, dragons, Behemoth etc.), the sea and all that is in them (including the fishes, the sea monsters such as Leviathan) were made by God, it helps us to appreciate the importance of worshipping God. Further, if there is a Creator, then there is accountability. The principle of accountability is even modeled on earth. No two goats are imprisoned for causing havoc, but humans, the custodians of creation are queried and sometimes imprisoned for acts that lead the world and other lives in danger. In the same way, just as there was a beginning (Genesis 1), there will be an end (Revelations). If it took the Creator only 7 days to succinctly arrange everything we see, it will definitely take Him a day to come back and make things right. If the Creator did not forget to create the different types of ants, then know that He definitely knows your name and He is watching. Make your ways right with Him now. 

When we journey through the Bible, it is so obvious that the Creator will come again. Read my post on a journey through the Bible here. 

The Creator is worthy to receive glory, honour and power!

Alexander Graham Bell is well noted for inventing the telephone. His invention was patented on March 7, 1876. Bell was still very young and must have been proud that he had made a device that allowed humans to communicate over wires. The revolutionary technology of the telephone has gone through different stages and has transformed from a box device to a handheld tool that does not require wires to operate. In fact, in 2014, while on a Norwegian airlines flight,  I connected to the wifi and was chatting with friends down below. Is that not amazing! Now, we can be on earth and get messages sent to us from Mars, from the moon, under the water etc. The technology of the telephone has really advanced. Mr. Bell is accredited for the concept and creation of the telephone but we cannot credit him with the latest technological advances in telephony. I am sure, if Mr. Bell could be given a second chance on earth, he would be amazed that we make calls via watches, microchips (inserted into stuff) and via Bluetooth. He would have been wowed by the advances of what he started as a box device.

However, God’s creation has not changed over the 1000s of years the world has been around. Creation has not undergone production changes. Humans have not moved from walking creatures to flying birds; the tree still stand root down and branches up; the water bodies are still on earth and not in the sky; babies still need a male and a female to make (even if it is scientifically manipulated); dogs don’t behave like chicken and birds still lay eggs (they don’t push their babies out from wombs). The structures and systems in the world have gone through a considerable change. Our buildings have changed; our education systems have changed; scientific research has given humanity access to previously inaccessible places but the earth remains in its place. It has not fallen into space and neither has it moved further away from the sun and the moon. I appreciate all inventions and I honour all inventors but their works will always be modified! However, God’s creation has never changed!

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11)

Of course, humans are always looking for ways and means to change their look, appearances and all that. For example, as someone with typical African hair, it is possible to see me in the morning with my real hair, in the afternoon with extension and in the evening with a wig! I keep changing my looks but God who created all things has not changed and neither has he changed the appearances of His creation. When we consider all these and many more, our response should be praise, adoration and worship. Indeed, our God is the greatest Creator and his works bear witness. Let us join the twenty-four elders is Heaven to lay down our crowns (pride, our own honour)and sing this song: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11)

Praise Him from the heavens and the heights

My first flight experience was very fascinating. I was so amazed looking down from the skies and seeing the earth so small and everything looking so tiny. The sky was so bright and the moon lighted the sky in all its radiance. The stars seemed far away as compared with the moon but I couldn’t miss their light as well. The heavens were indeed declaring the glory of the Lord. As I sat in my seat, I was filled with so much praise. As morning came, the clouds began their humble parade. One, two, three and a gazillion of clouds hanging up there with nothing holding them but they were so perfect. As we ascended higher, the very white clouds below looked like a uniformed army ready to take charge. And as we descended, the mountains showed up in their radiance. In the sky, the heights looked so small but getting closer, I could get a better glance at the magnificent peaks and the beautiful vegetation that are around the height. Indeed, God is the Master designer!

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. (Psalms 148:1)

I couldn’t help but to join the Psalmist to praise the Lord. Psalm 148 is a perfect praise for how I felt:
“Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord.”

Whenever we are in doubt of the presence of a Creator, let’s consider the orderliness of creation. No automatic process could have been so smart to put everything where they need to be. The heavens and all that stay in the heavens are in the appropriate place. The fish is in the water, the animals are on land and some amphibians live in the water on the land. Imagine if humans were to live in water, we wouldn’t survive because our bodies are not fit for water living. We need special diving suits and oxygen tanks to go underwater for a while. No fish requires an oxygen supply down there! When astronauts travel to outer space, they have to wear a spacesuit and be in a spaceship because humans were not made for space. However the stars, the moon, the sun, the meteors comfortably hang up there because that is where they belong. God placed us exactly where we belong and that alone should cause us to give Him praise. Never wish you were anything else other than human, for if you were made a mosquito, you would probably have died on your first attempt to bite a human. Praise God for making you….you!

Let all creation rejoice!

There are countless times we’ve had to deal with life’s issues that the last thing we do is to rejoice. In fact, the challenges of life can make you so sad that praising God becomes a chore instead of a lifestyle. We live in a fast changing and a fast moving world and instead of relying on one another, loneliness has become a norm. We have been drawn so close by technology that we are more distant than ever. Such an irony! Life is lived virtually,  we work virtually, we check up on people virtually, we study and write exams virtually and sometimes we celebrate others virtually. I have attended weddings, churches, funerals, parties, launches etc. virtually. How do we come together to rejoice when we barely see each other?  Maybe we could learn from nature.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. (Psalms 96:11‭-‬12)

Imagine a party in the heavens, a celebration on earth, a jamboree in the sea, a matching band of the fields and the singing trees! It sounds unrealistic right? But, creation rejoices each day before the Lord. The heavens and all the hosts in it declare the glory of the Lord. They sing to the Lord a new song. Aurora borealis, the shooting stars, the stars, the moon and the sun rejoice in their radiance. In the depth of the sea, the waves give a signal and all the fishes jump in glory. The trees on the fields wave in celebration of the glory of God. The Lord deserves all praise and the Psalmist proclaimed in Psalms 96:11-13, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.”

When we understand that everything was made for His glory, we will be careful to take care of creation. Humanity has been given dominion over created things and we should not use our dominance to destroy but to preserve. Afterall, Genesis 9:3 confirms that the plants and the animals have been given as food: “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” However, we have also been tasked to be fruitful as well. If we want to see the trees in the field continuously rejoicing in the Lord, then when we fell a tree to make books, firewood etc. we should make sure that another tree or more trees are planted in its place. The party in the sea will cease if we only pour acidic contents into the ocean destroying living things in the sea. We might not enjoy the party in the heavens if our attitudes cause a depletion of the ozone layer putting humans, animals, the environment and marine lives at risk.

God will judge all our actions (Romans 2:6) and we don’t want to be in His bad books because of our attitudes. 

Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. (Psalms 96:13)