The blue gem earth

When I look at the starry sky on a clear night and at the same time the full moon illuminates the whole environment, I think about the wonderful earth, which is like a blue jewel in the whole universe.

I am filled with awe at the order and the countless number of stars and planets in the universe, which appear uninhabited and barren. The sun, moon, and stars not only provide us with light, they also define our time. A day has 24 hours, the year has 365 days, and four seasons are caused by the Earth's tilt (23,5 degrees) to its orbit around the sun.

Our God explains that he created this planet to be inhabited: “For this is what the Lord says—he who created the heavens, he is God; he who formed and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is no other.” (Jes 45,18).

Our precious home is a gift from the hand of God, our loving Father. Everything here on planet Earth was designed to feed us, sustain us, and bring us great joy as we journey through life. What is the purpose of all these blessings that we probably take for granted? King Solomon writes: “God has made everything beautiful for its time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, yet people still cannot see the full extent of God’s work from beginning to end. I concluded that there is nothing better than to be happy and to enjoy oneself as long as possible. And let people eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God” (from Pred 3,11-13).

That shows one side of it. But we were also created to look beyond this physical life, beyond daily events, to a life that has no end. A time of eternity with our God. “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” (Jes 57,15).

We live in a time to seek Him and to thank for all these blessings here and now. To tell him which part of nature we like the most, how much we enjoy sunsets, waterfalls, clouds, trees, flowers, animals and the night sky with all its myriad stars. Let us come close to Jesus, who inhabits eternity and finally thank Him that He is not only powerful, but also personal. He is the one who wants to share the universe with us forever!

by Cliff Neill