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By John | April 22, 2009
From the Word: “Out of water” (from II Peter 3:1-10)
”…by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water.” (II Peter 3:5 NASB)
Aha! Here is a clue to creation - the earth was formed out of water, one of the simplest, most basic of substances. What does this mean, Lord? If You used a cataclysmic explosion to form the earth, the entire universe, then according to this verse, water was an integral part of the materials You used. And where did I read recently that hydrogen, a building block of water, is the most abundant element in the universe… “In the universe at large, it [hydrogen] is the most abundant element - over 90% of the atoms in the known universe are hydrogen.” (Conceptual Physics, Paul Hewitt, 3rd ed, pg 245) And it goes on to state that helium makes up most of the remaining 10%, although it is rare on earth. This thought would be worth pursuing at some point. And yet I want to focus on the needs of today, not get caught up in speculation about the creation, as interesting as it is.
In any case, what point are You making, Lord? It is Your coming. The first part of verse 5 reads, “For when they maintain this, [v4 - "all continues just as it was..."] it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago…” and You go on to say that You destroyed the world, being flooded with water, and by Your word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire (v6,7). And Your day will come like a thief and everything will be burned up (v10). I don’t want to be caught by surprise. I want to be ready, Lord.
So, what can I take away from this? Your are not slow, but patient, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (v9) Lord, give me wisdom for today to capitalize on the opportunities You have given me to walk with You and to advance Your Kingdom, that I might honor You with my use of time and energy and the focus of my attention. May You be honored by my mind, my heart, my strength, my soul today, as I recommit myself to loving You and serving You with all my being. Amen.
Please pray with us:
This Saturday with a handful of others in our local Nav group here, we are travelling to the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. to join Navigators there for an annual banquet. We are arriving three hours early for a dedicated session to interact with some of the DC Nav group in their 20s who are focused on living out the gospel in the natural spheres of their relationships. Please pray with us that God would use the interaction to learn helpful lessons that would equip us to advance the gospel more effectively here in southeastern PA.
Thanks!
John
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Topics: In the Word and Prayer |