Immense yet close

Traveling at the speed of light, a mere 186,000 miles per “second” or .000005 of a second to travel one mile, it would take two million years to arrive at the nearest star and there are zillions of them. The distances in our universe are staggering to me and I have always been fascinated by the immensity of the universe. I have read numerous books on the subject and routinely download photos from outer space taken by the Hubble telescope.

I think most people experience periods of low self-esteem at some point in their lives. When I reach a low point in my life, I find comfort in thinking about the enormity of creation and our relation to it. We simply do not have the mental capability to fully comprehend the full scope of the power and glory of our God and yet we are told by our creator that the very hairs on our heads are numbered and that we have a personal God who cares deeply for us and watches over us individually at all times and knows every detail about us.

When I first founded our company I knew every person in the company. Now it has grown to the point where I do not. It is distressing to me and no doubt to some employees that I can go to a restaurant and sit right next to someone who works at our company and not even recognize them, even though I am their CEO. Consider the immensity of creation and the smallness of our own microdot that we live on, (earth) in relation to it, and the smallness of us in relation to earth and it kind of puts into perspective how impressive it is that our God who cares greatly for us individually knows everything about every single inhabitant of earth; all several billion of them.

How can anyone have low self-esteem when one thinks of our God? His love knows no bounds and He demonstrated that with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on a cross in order that God might care for us forever. The Bible pictures mankind as being weak and fragile on the one hand, but once saved by the blood of Jesus Christ as possessing dignity, honor, and glory second only to God. My self-esteem just went up.

I have often wondered why God even notices us in this immense creation much less loves us so much, and I must admit I do not have a clue. I can very much relate to the Psalmist who over one thousand years ago asked the same questions that I ask in the verses below

Psalm 8:3
When I consider Your
Heavens, the work of Your
fingers,
The moon and the stars, which
You have ordained,
What is man that You
are mindful of him.