Monday, December 5, 2011 - Brain Sprain

Crowd in the rain

     Listening to a torrent of raindrops smack our already flooded yard,  I put two and two together, so to speak, with the last devotional in Lucado's book, Live Loved (note to self: find next devotional book).  He encourages his readers to be still and contemplate the quantity of years God has existed by using grains of sand.  Well, I happen to have some raindrops on hand and I'm wondering how many water particles (including rain, sleet, snow and hail) fell on the earth over the last year? the last decade? the last millennium? - since the beginning of time?  If we had that unpronounceable number we could add it to the number of water particles that make up earth's oceans, lakes, rivers and ponds. Then we could multiply that doubly unfathomable number by the number of years the universe has existed and we would still have only begun to count the years God has been.  Being still and contemplating hurts my brain - but, hey, no pain, no gain.  
     While the mysterious length of God's existence is enough to put us in our places as humans who exist for a moment, we've yet to contemplate the depth of His eternal wisdom, goodness, power and love.  No wonder Isaiah said, 
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." Isaiah 64:5-7
     And yet, God, Who could look at each of us like just another grain of sand, raindrop, or insect, calls us by name, not number, to be His child.  He longs for an indepth, long-term relationship with you, Snowflake, and with me, Ladybug. He knows your favorite color and my funniest quirk. He "gets" what makes each of us laugh. He knows how many hairs grow on each of seven billion people's heads (Matt. 10:30).  His "Godness" leaves us breathless. He suffers no memory loss and needs nothing from us, desiring only that we love Him by His pure and selfless definition of love - and all this for our good.  


Father-God, Creator and Eternal Lord of everything that is, accept our humble adoration for Your utter holiness and completely unique character.  We're grateful for Your Grace because we know how undeserving we are and how little we show to others. We praise You for Your personal knowledge and love for each of us.  Keep us alert to each thoughtful thing You do for us and may our hearts lurch toward You.  We glorify You, the One God of Love, of Heaven and Earth, of the Past, Present and Future.  We bow to the sum of all that lifts You above all others. 
In the Name of Jesus, the Word Who already existed in the beginning, Who was with God and was God and was in the beginning with God