Galaxy brain ∙

Galaxy brain ∙

I have heard all about you, LORD. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. In wrath, remember mercy. – Habakkuk 3:2

Psalms 33:4-9

 4 For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does.

 6 The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.

 7 He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.

 8 Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him.

 9 For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

Since the 1990s, the Hubble Space Telescope has been capturing and transmitting back to Earth amazing, resplendent images of distant galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae (NASA.gov). The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched in 2021. JWST is designed to be the successor to the Hubble but has improved capabilities for observing the universe. It has a large, segmented primary mirror over six times larger than Hubble’s.

These magnificent telescopes allow us to get outside of ourselves, glimpse places far away in time and space. JWST is expected to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos and add to our knowledge some of the most fundamental questions in the universe. Incredibly, it permits us to investigate the atmospheres of exoplanets in search of signs of life.

“Imagine yourself at a scenic vista somewhere on Earth, such as the rim of the Grand Canyon or the shore of an ocean stretching out past the horizon line. As your brain processes the view and its sheer vastness, feelings of awe kick in” (Marina Koren, TheAtlantic.com, December 1, 2020). The awe elicited by the greatness of the creation has come to be called “Space Telescope.”

The experience of awe can lead to “a diminished sense of self,” a phrase psychologists use to describe feelings of smallness or insignificance in the face of something larger than oneself. A diminished sense of self is when an individual experiences a lower or weakened sense of their identity or value. People with a diminished sense of self may encounter challenges related to their self-esteem, self-confidence, and a sense of direction or meaning in their lives.

Research has demonstrated that the sensation can be a good thing: “A shot of awe can boost feelings of connectedness with other people” (Koren).

People were created with the ability to feel awe when viewing and reflecting upon the Father’s magnificent work of creation.

But the Father is seeking something far closer to His heart. He wants people to be awestruck with Him. How can we see and reflect upon the unseen God?

He has provided two ways: His Word and His Son. Through the written Word of God, we come to know about the Father. We discover His characteristics, qualities, and divine attributes. But more importantly, we learn about who He is as a person.

As we “see” Him in His Word, it is transformational. We are awed and experience something far more sensational than Galaxy Brain. We experience what we might call “God Brain.” We are at once diminished and seem puny and insignificant, yet at the same time, our thirst for connection with Him magnifies.

REFLECT & PRAY

“The Father is God, and the Son is God, but the Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father. He is speaking about unity, not identity” (Wiersbe).

Father You are utterly awesome. Lead me towards a more profound understanding of your essence. Intensify my craving and longing for you. Satisfy my growing desire to establish a stronger connection with you.

INSIGHT

How can we see and reflect upon the unseen God? The answer is fascinating and yet sublimely simple. As we observe the Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels and hear Him speak and teach, He shows what the Father is like because He and the Father are one.

John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

How can this be? Theologians have been trying to answer that question for centuries. Perhaps we may never understand it on this side of eternity. But we can simply read the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, reflect, understand, receive, and believe.

The Lord Jesus Christ unequivocally stated that the Son and the Father are one, that is, one essence, true deity. Two different personalities, the Father and the Son, are both equally God. When the Lord Jesus Christ became truly human, He lived His life on earth as God in the flesh.

If you want to know what the Father is like, look at the Son. It is that simple.

John 14:7- 9

 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?

Because no one has ever seen the Father face-to-face, the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth to reveal what He is like.

John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. But the unique One, who is himself God, who is at the Father’s side, He has explained Him.

When the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became flesh and dwelt among us, He revealed the Father to us. What does that mean?

The Greek term translated as revealed or explained is exegesato. It comes from the Greek verb exegeomai, which means to lead out, explain, interpret, describe, or make known.

Because no one can fully see and comprehend the Father in His Glory and live, the Lord Jesus Christ came to exegete and fully reveal the Father. “If you want to see what God is like, look at Jesus” (Barclay).

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his essence.

He’s Everything to Me

In the stars His handiwork I see

On the wind He speaks with majesty

Tho’ He ruleth over land and sea

What is that to me

‘Til by faith I met Him face to face

And I felt the wonder of His grace

Then I knew that He was more

Than just a God who didn’t care

That lived away out there

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 2-20-1

© Dr. H 2023