THE BIG BANG

Genesis 1: 14 (NAS)
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years.

It's that time of the year again. Holidays and more holidays. It starts with harvest festivals, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then New Years. One big party after another. The scurrying here and there, buying gifts, putting gifts on lay away, decorating, and it goes on and on.

I think it's time we slow down and reflect on what is the true meaning of why we have holidays. In the beginning there was God and God alone. He created the earth, stars, planets, moon, trees, lakes, oceans, and whew, man and woman!

I'd like to think with a clap of His hands the heavens exploded into tiny particals to become the stars throughout the universe. Sort of like the big bang theory! Endless. With His hands He molded the planet we call earth into a big ball and spoke the words for trees, flowers, birds, animals, lakes, and oceans. When He was finished He sat back and marveled at His work. So beautiful was His workmanship that He wanted someone there to share the beauty with. Therefore He created man, and woman for the man.

Remember I said I'd like to think this is the way it happened but we know from the Bible that He spoke and it was. We know also that He created man from dust and woman from the rib of the man.

To complete His work He promised a savior, the Messiah. The Messiah, Jesus, will come to save each one of us from our sin. That we must keep vigil and watch for His coming.

I think at times I've been caught up in the hipe of television, ads in the media, and the stores wanting to get the jump on the holidays. It seems to start earlier and earlier each year. We've pushed aside the true meaning of the holidays.

Harvest fest was a time of getting together after the farmers brought their crops in. Work had been completed, they were ready for the winter. The pilgrims were grateful to God for seeing them through their first winter in America. They celebrated together with the friendly Indians and had a feast. Christmas, Christ's birth. Fulfilling the promise God made to His people. The Messiah. And then New Years. A new beginning. Make promises to yourself and others on how you were going to make this next year a better one.

What all of this means is that God gave us our beautiful world to live in. The stars, moon, trees, flowers, etc., and His son. His son that would die on the cross for our sins and then rise again. A promise that He would return and take His children to reign on high with Him. Praise God.

Thank you Lord for all the stars in the heavens, the moon and planets to marvel at when I look into the sky. But most of all thank you for Your son, Jesus, who died for me and the promise of His return. Thank you. Amen.