Bits and Pieces – 124th Edition – July 24, 2022

     What an unlikely object to be an instrument of a divine deliverance!  Samson, bound fast, was delivered into the hands of the Philistines.  Their shouts of triumph were still echoing when, bursting from his bands by the might of the Spirit, Samson wrought havoc among them with this strangest of weapons. [Judges 15:16]. A thousand men fell beneath that jawbone of an ass wielded in the power of God.

     What strange means God is pleased to employ in the accomplishing of His great designs – the tears of a babe, moving the heart of Pharaoh’s daughter; the sling of the shepherd-lad David; the sleeplessness of a Persian king; the turning of the world down through the preaching of the gospel by unlettered fishermen; the solitary monk who shook the world.

     One of my favourite Gospel stories is the feeding of the five thousand.  At its heart are the lad and his lunch.  Andrew exclaimed, “But what are they among so many?” [John 6:9].  But those loaves and fishes placed in the hands of the Lord Jesus were made efficient and sufficient for the whole multitude.

     Child of God, there is nothing little with God.  In His hands how mighty are the simplest and feeblest instruments. It has been well said, “God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence” [1 Corinth. 1:27-29]      [Rev. Michael Patrick].

     I am reading a book about anti-gravity.  I just can’t put it down.

     Police were called to a day-care centre where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

     Keep company with the more cheerful sort of the godly; there is no mirth like the mirth of believers [Richard Baxter].

     Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. [Shorter Catechism.  Q1].

     God reveals Himself through two books –the book of nature, and the Bible, the Word of God.  Sometimes we neglect the first one that tells us so much about the Lord’s creative ability.  Did you notice this week, that the recently launched James Webb telescope has already discovered that there are ten times more galaxies like our Milky Way in the Universe than previously thought?

     You would think that, faced with such astounding information, the minds of people would be turned towards God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things.  But no, they are blinded by the “god of this world”  [2 Corinthians 4:4] and all they seem to see is how wonderful they are, and what they plan to do.

     Having looked first hand in the Florida space centre at the Hubble telescope photos on display, one can only marvel at how great this Universe is, and how small this earth is by comparison.  Read Isaiah 40:22 to see that we are likened to “grasshoppers!”  Read also the last four chapters of Job to show us the right perspective between the greatness of God, and the minuteness of man.

     Take time to ponder the words of Stuart K. Hine’s hymn, “How great Thou art” [#28 in our book].  Hines got his divine perspective right.

     God is the Creator of all things both big and small.  The size of the macro Universe leaves us speechless.  But so too does the microscopic creatures God has made.  Take, for example, the tiny jewel of a bird, flashing with iridescent green, the hummingbird.

     In this part of Canada, we are fortunate to have occasional sightings for they need so much high-energy food year-round. Unfortunately, our part of the world does not have suitable flowers in winter, so the hummingbird must head south.

     For their migration, they travel about 3000 km. on tiny wings, which includes flying 800 km. non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico.  It gets its name from the humming sound made by the wings that can beat at the fantastic speed of 90 times a second!  They are expert fliers and can actually fly backwards.

     The lovely, lively, little hummingbird makes us think of our wonderful Creator.  May the Lord open our eyes to behold the wonders of God’s hands.  Job instructs us to, “ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee” [Job 12:7].