Your Origin And Destiny

An awesome intelligence must be behind the design of the tiny atom—as well as the design of the vast Cosmos. There are ongoing laws which govern them, that illustrate God’s extraordinary capabilities and divine intellect. I am sure all monotheistic religions and certainly all true Christians recognise this.

God’s innovative genius is startling and constantly on view in our Cosmos, but interpretations of its significance can vary. I am reminded of a public meeting that I organised in Malawi for a visiting astronomer, who showed colour slides and spoke enthusiastically about the wonders of the Universe. At the close of the meeting a young woman approached me.

“I found the sizes and distances he spoke about overwhelming. I can’t believe that God cares for little me as just another person amongst billions of others on this tiny planet.”

“That’s so interesting,” I responded, “because I had the opposite reaction. The fact that I can see such careful design on such a large scale excites me, and assures me that I can trust God for my tiny life. I find it comforting that he is big enough and smart enough to do all that.”

We had been given the same information but had opposite reactions to it.

I don’t think what I said impressed her because I did not notice her at any other Christian meetings.

On thinking back over our interaction, I decided it is not what we see that convinces us about God, it is how we interpret what we see. She and I saw the same slides and heard the same lecture—in my heart I said ‘”Wow”, while she was responding, “God is too big to care about little me.”

Indeed, God knows today our “secret” thoughts and plans (Psalm 94:11) and even the number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). Nevertheless, despite his intimate and comprehensive knowledge of each one of us, and our failings, God still loves us. He loves that lady, he loves me, and he loves you.

“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).

You and I are included in God’s off-the-scale intellectual activity. His knowledge of us is personal and current, conceivably because the Holy Spirit permeates all of life.

God’s consideration for us is extraordinary and meticulous: “How amazing are your thoughts concerning me, God, how vast is the sum of them. Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand” (Psalm 139:17,18).

God discloses his thoughts and plans to us in a revelatory process rather than a didactic one: he “reveals his thoughts to humankind” (Amos 4:13).

The truly substantial truths about God and ourselves must come to us primarily by revelation, because our logic is limited and prescribed, unable to cope successfully with issues outside our parameters.