It was the first time I had ever seen or touched a giant redwood tree. When I stood next to these 200-300 foot tall trees, they dwarfed me in stature. These massive trees made me feel really, really small.
Hiking through the Big Basin Redwoods State Park not only made me aware that I am small, but it also reminded me that God is really BIG. This forest of giant redwood trees covered acres and acres of land in Northern California. California is just one of the fifty states in the United States of America. The United States is a part of the continent of North America, which is just one of seven continents on our planet, Earth. Earth is just one of nine planets in our solar system, and our solar system is just a small part of the Milky Way Galaxy. And the Milky Way Galaxy is just one of millions and millions of galaxies in our universe. And God spoke it all into existence. He created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
God, the creator of the universe, is a really big God. And we, his creation, are really small. And what is truly amazing and mind-blowing is that this eternal, all-powerful God knows each of us by name. He is a personal God who knows every detail of our lives. He even knows the number of hairs that we have on our heads (Matthew 10:30).
God is a really big God. And sometimes, actually often, we need to be reminded of his strength and power. We all get overwhelmed in life. At various seasons of our lives we face major obstacles and challenges. It could be a relationship conflict, a financial struggle, the passing of loved one or a health issue. Everyone of us is either going through a difficult time right now, or we are walking with a friend or family member through a hard time.
No matter what life throws our way, we need to be reminded that God is a really big God. He is much bigger than any challenge we face. He can give us the strength and courage to overcome any difficulty in life. As a pastor, I daily talk with people who are going through challenging times. Our church prayer list is a mile long.
One of my favorite Bible verses to share with people going through difficult times is 1 Peter 5:7. It says, “Cast ALL your anxiety on him (God), because he cares for you.” God, the creator of the universe, loves and cares for you. He can get us through any difficulty in life. We need to be reminded of how big God is and how small our problem is compared to him.
I’m not sure what you are going through in this season of your life. But I do know this. God is much bigger than whatever you are going through. And he can give you the strength and courage to overcome it. He simply wants you to trust him. If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? Let me encourage you today to cast ALL of your anxieties and fears on him, because he cares for you.
Jonathan Howes has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Jacksonville State University and a Master in Divinity Degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the lead pastor for Graystone Church. Locations include the Ozora Campus: 1551 Ozora Road | Loganville, GA 30052 and the Walton Campus: 723 N Broad St Monroe, GA 30655.
Phone: (770) 466-3159
Email: info@graystonechurch.com
Website: GraystoneChurch.com
