“But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.’” Luke 19:40, NKJV
Being at the shore or in the mountains is always inspiring for me. The vast ocean and the majestic snow-covered mountaintops jutting into the clouds make me feel small in comparison both in physical stature and material importance. When I am faced with acknowledging the whole of creation and where I fit into it, my relative smallness and overall significance seem of little importance. Yet God says in His Word, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7). And from the Book of Isaiah, God tells us, “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands…” (Isaiah 49:16).
When Jesus walked the countryside with His disciples, He expressed through word and action God’s deep love and intimate knowledge of every person. To the religious leaders of the day, Jesus clarified God’s love for His creation as the foundation upon which the Law (Ten Commandments) was given, not man’s obedience to the Law as the foundation upon which God’s love is earned. In the 21st century, however, the proverbial pendulum has swung the other way from religious legalism to humanistic “worship.” We do this by adding up how many followers we have on our social media account; this supposedly determines one’s value and importance.
If we need a reset in perspective for understanding our value here on earth, worshipping God is a great place to start. Once we recognize who God is should not humility naturally follow, knowing that our Creator loves us and died for us? C. S. Lewis wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” Hoping Mr. Lewis would not mind, I would like to add a postscript: And thinking of God more!
