The Glory of God -- A Brief Moment in Reflection
By Hector Earle
God's guiding hand can be seen in the smallest (and largest!) things in the universe.
hen you look at the heavens on a clear night (away from the glare of city lights), the unaided eye can see thousands of stars twinkling and dazzling in the night sky. A moonless, star-filled night can have a sobering effect on the viewer (for me at least) as one observes the vast scope of the power and wonder of our awesome creator. It's no wonder then that the Psalmist David wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1).
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God not only knows how many stars there are in the cosmos, but He knows every one by name.
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Despite the sense of awe and amazement one gets when viewing the heavens at night, it is even more sobering to realize that this is only part of a small fraction of the 100 billion or so stars that make up our little cluster of the Milky Way galaxy. We are told by astronomers that beyond our group of stars lie perhaps over 100 billion other galaxies, with each containing at least 100 billion stars or more. Remember that our sun, the closest star to us on earth, with all its explosive power and energy, is but a small, medium-sized star. There are billions upon billions of other stars (suns) in our universe that are much bigger, hotter and brighter than our sun.
Now, please permit me to do a little math and science to depict that the heavens do indeed declare the glory of God.
Do the math
One hundred billion galaxies containing at least 100 billion stars each? That is 10 to the power of 21. We are not talking about trillions of stars out there, not even quadrillions -- but quintillions upon quintillions of stars. Can you fathom that many? I have trouble sometimes just getting my head around such numbers. Remember, God not only knows how many there are in the cosmos, but He knows every star by name (Psalm 147:4). Our God is an awesome God indeed.
If we assume that every star has a planetary system (this is a fair assumption based on the latest conjectures from the Hubble Space Telescope), then there are just as many planets as stars in space as well. Taking this a little farther, assuming that each star has at least eight planets like our solar system, then there must be eight times as many planets as there are stars out there. That would be too many to count. Taking it one step further still, let's say that each planet has at least one moon (Jupiter has at least 23 visible moons), then think about the number of lunar objects in space as well. Now, with that many stars, planets and moons in space one would think that we live in a crowded universe. Not at all. In fact, scientists tell us that every star is light years away from its neighboring star and that the universe is expanding with more stars being "born" frequently.
That's the math side of the equation. Now let's consider a little science aspect of God's handiwork in the cosmos.
On the science side
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With that many stars, planets and moons in space, one would think that we live in a crowded universe.
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Based on our understanding of our solar system and planetary movements around the sun, we must assume that every planet revolving around every star in the universe must have a set orbit. In order for a planet to travel in a preordained orbit around a star, there must be two equal and opposite forces in play, the gravitational force of the star pulling on the planet and the centrifugal force pushing out on the planet (like a ball on a string). If there are moons revolving around each planet, then there must be the same principle operating here as well. That is a lot of precise movement.
Consider next the sheer volume and number of stars, planets and moons (not counting the other types of heavenly bodies out there). Examining the handiwork of an infinite God who not only created all of this but sustains it and keeps everything moving in precise detail and in a perfectly synchronized fashion simply leaves one speechless. It is surprising that more people don't stop (like king David) to consider the incredible handiwork of our infinite Creator. The glory of God is indeed written all over space.
But creation is also amazing when we go downward into the microscopic world of atoms and atomic particles and consider electrons, neutrons and protons, all operating under the same basic physics as the macro world of space. When those tiny units are examined even further, we find many other very minute particles of gravitons, photons and quarks. Some scientists tell us that there are even smaller particles still to be discovered. The knowledge of God is truly infinite. Keep in mind, too, that God not only planned and designed all matter in the universe (be it the micro or the macro), but that He sustains every planetary orbit, every "life" of a star and the motion of every atom, with a precise balance of physics and forces, keeping everything together. It truly is mind-boggling and humbling.
For believers in God, astronomy should not be merely a topic of interest, it should greatly influence our faith in our Almighty Creator who declares, from the beginning, that He made the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
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Astronomy should not be merely a topic of interest, it should greatly influence our faith in our Almighty Creator.
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In summary, when we consider the awesome size and scope of the universe -- God's universe -- operating in perfect order and harmony, it should not only convince us that there is a God but it should help us to truly believe that the Lord God Eternal can solve the petty problems we deal with every day in our lives, even in these times of economic difficulties. It should spur one to cry out as King David did in Psalm 8:1, "O LORD, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the world!" (Good News Translation).
It's no wonder that Albert Einstein said, "I want to know the mind of God. The rest are details."
Yes, details for us to discover...to discover the glory of God.
Further reading
We invite you to think more on this subject by reading and .
Copyright 2009 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved.
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