Great, wide, beautiful, wonderful, world,
With the wonderful water around you curled,
The wonderful grass is upon your breast –
World you are wonderfully dressed!
The wonderful air is over me,
And the wonderful wind is shaking the tree,
It walks on the water,
And turns the mill,
And talks to itself on the top of the hill.
World you are so great and I'm so small
I tremble to think of myself, at all.
And yet, when I said my prayers today
Something inside of me seemed to say:
You are more than the earth,
Though you’re only a dot—
You can love and think---
And the earth cannot!
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In this little childhood verse which I have penned from memory the words “earth” and “world” are interchangeable. Actually the term world is much greater than this little sphere upon which we live. Were we to traverse this earth, even by giant airliner, it might seem quite an extreme distance from Minnesota to the Strait of Gibraltar. But when we gaze into the heavens on a starry night, and there remember that every little twinkling star is a gigantic orb, many of which are many times larger than planet earth, our little sphere no longer seems large!
Now stop and ponder the fact that God not only made this earth---He made the “worlds” --- plural, (Heb. 1:2;11:3); the heavenly galaxies – all spinning like tops, at tremendous speed, yet staying within their God-given orbit! This thought always reminds me of, HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!
After God had created each and all of the countless constellations that together become our starry sky, He was happy and thrilled with His 4th day of Creation and pronounced it good (Genesis 1:18).
With our powerful microscopes we scan the magnificent heavens and wonder why those distant worlds are there? Did God scatter them across the Milky Way merely for the benefit and enjoyment of those of us who inhabit planet earth? He loves us with an everlasting love. He loves us enough to give His Son to die for us! In addition it is altogether possible that He has a specific purpose for every sun, and moon, and planet in addition to whatever benefit we earthlings may derive from them.
They have been out there as long as our own solar system and it would really surprise me if God created them merely as a string of ornamental lights! For thousands, and possibly millions of years, they have been fulfilling the purpose for which they were created. They are our “starry world!”
MANY APPLICATIONS
We have the animal world and the world of man, etc. In addition we have the fashion world, the world of sports, the world of fun, the world of art, the world of music, etc. There are many more categories.
In the Bible where the world is mentioned, it is normally the people of the world and not the earth itself that is in focus. Since man is born with a sinful nature, and that sin is expressed in human lives, we are warned not to love the world. We are to love the souls of men, but not man’s sinful ways.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (I John 2:15).
Do Not Be Worldly Minded
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (I John 2:16).
- More people will be in Hell because of lust than any other sinful practice.
- The lust of the flesh is illicit sex.
- The lust of the eyes is covetousness — wanting that which is not theirs.
- The pride of life is promotion of self interests.
Eighty years ago, “sex” was never mentioned in polite society. Today to be called “sexy” is considered complimentary. Dances and movies were then considered sinful by Christians because both were of a “worldly” nature. Now the video has replaced the theater but they, like the old silent pictures, often stir emotions anything but spiritually uplifting.
Today some Christian books and videos actually inspire a closer walk with God, but books and videos can never replace the need of Bible reading, Bible study, and regular church attendance.
Something To Keep In Mind
The greatest foe you’ll ever encounter in your life for Christ is not your neighbor, or your circumstances, but your own human nature that has a natural, tendency to sin. The Bible says, “Touch not; taste not; handle not” (Col.2:21). If we didn’t have a natural tendency to do the wrong thing, we would not have to be warned. Right?
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The easy roads are crowded,
And the level roads are jammed;
The pleasant little rivers
With the driving folks are crammed,
But off yonder where it’s rocky,
Where you get a better view,
You will find the ranks are thinning
And the travelers are few.
Where the going’s sweet and pleasant
You will always find the throng,
For the many, more’s the pity,
Seem to like to drift along.
But the steps that call for courage
And the task that’s hard to do,
In the end results in glory
For the never wavering few.-- Messick |