God has placed the earth and every planet and star in its own special orbit through the vast regions of space, and they all spin in perfect order and always stay on schedule. If they didn’t, they would have crashed into each other long ago and produced problems too great to imagine.
Through improved telescopes and computers, astronomers are continually amazed to find that the galaxies of stars reach farther away than has previously been thought. Some now say there may be no end to them! No one on earth now can know for sure, but those who will be in heaven with their Savior will then undoubtedly learn all about His creation.
We have been taught that the earth turns on its axis every 24 hours (although it is actually 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.1 seconds), providing an average of 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness every day of the year. Who do you think arranged this, and why doesn’t it ever change? The answer is found in the Bible verse: “The Lord by wisdom [has] founded the earth; by understanding [has] He established the heavens” (Proverbs 3:1919The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. (Proverbs 3:19)).
Imagine what life would be like (if there could be any life) if the earth did not rotate! On one side the heat would be so unbearable that nothing could live, and on the other side it would be so dark and cold that everything would freeze solid. Aren’t you glad the Creator is the One who controls this turning? We should thank Him, among other things, for the way this design takes care of all His creatures — some are active in daylight hours and go to sleep around sunset, while others sleep in the daytime and are active at night, all according to His plan.
The earth’s tilt of 23½ degrees on its axis is another provision of the Creator. This tilt is what brings the change in seasons, as our opening verse states. This places more areas of the earth’s surface under the benefit of the sun’s warmth than would be possible if it were not tilted.
Mankind’s carelessness spoils many of the good things our loving God has given us, but there are some things we cannot spoil, as our opening verse tells us. Everything that depends on God’s faithfulness cannot fail, until He is done with it. “Great is Thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:2323They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:23)). God can be counted on in every way. Isaiah 51:66Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. (Isaiah 51:6) tells us that even though one day He will be done with the creation as it is now, His salvation will last forever. “The heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but My salvation shall be forever.” Do you have His salvation?
Did You Know?
The earth’s tilt of 23 ½ degrees is what brings the change in seasons.
Messages of God’s Love 11/12/2023