Perspective.

Just who are you as we enter this New Year? Let me clarify where you are.

You are living on a planet which belongs to a Solar System that's a star

orbited by planets, asteroids, comets, and other bodies. The most far

out planet in our Solar System is Pluto and it is 3,694,844,400 miles

away from the sun. Remember from science, the earth is located some 93,000,000

miles from the sun.

Little more

perspective. Our Solar System (Ha! as if it belongs to us) belongs in

the galaxy of stars and planets called The Milky Way. Scientists believe

that "our" Milky Way contains between 200 and 400 billion solar

systems big as or bigger than our own. And "our" Milky Way Galaxy

is one of, Lord only knows, how many galaxies. However, to be as precise

as possible, the word among some scientists is that there are between

50 and 100 billion galaxies.

Now, about

3000 years ago a mere half-drop in the bucket of time and space a holy

man said, "Our Lord and Ruler...I often think of the heavens your

hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put in place. Then I ask,

'Why do you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for us weaklings?'

You made us a little lower than you yourself, and you have crowned us

with glory and honor" (Psalms 8:1,3-5).

It's a good

thing to do. Ponder the stars and planets, that is. Many of us Bible-believers

have shied away from pondering the heavens too much for fear we will come

up with a God-less cosmos. On the contrary, our greatest scientists have

pondered the universe and its vastness and other areas of inquiry, while

maintaining faith in God or even growing in their faith of God.

Often we have

been to believe falsely that scientists and atheists are one and the same.

Yet the following men were either God-fearers, Christians, or even devoted

men of their churches: Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543), Johannes Kepler

(1571-1630), Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Rene Descartes (1596-1650),

Isaac Newton (1642-1727), Robert Boyle (1791-1867), Michael Faraday (1791-1867),

Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), Kelvin (William Thompson) (1824-1907), Max

Planck (1858-1947), Albert Einstein (1879-1955).

The Psalmists

and the scientists over the centuries have concluded that an investigation

of the vastness of space and the laws of nature reinforce their conclusion

that there is a God who cares for them, the human race, and takes great

pains to demonstrate just that.

As you begin

a New Year, why don't you ponder the stars, moons, planets, and other

heavenly bodies to discover how much God thinks of you?

The Psalmist,

looking into the vastness of the heavens, discovered that rather than

being insignificant, we are the crown and glory of God's creation. You

are more important than Pluto. In fact, Pluto was put there for you, your

rule, and your enjoyment. It's far out, man!

The Rev.

Dr. John Hatcher is pastor of

River's Edge Community Church

1091 South Jeff Davis Drive

Fayetteville, Georgia 30215

770-719-0303

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