Out of the dust

When we think about dust, what do we think? What is it compared to? It is nothing. Dust is nothing when compared to anything else. Compared to even a grain of sand, sand is so much larger in comparison to most dust particles. Dust is nothing.

Recently I was on a boat, riding at the bow of the boat as it splashed through the waves. And when I say the bow, I mean the tip of the boat, my legs hanging off of the edge of the boat. It was amazing. The wind was rushing through my hair like something from some movie. I think if I could make a movie about a boat, I would put someone on the tip of a boat, have him throw his hands to the wind and shout, "I'm the king of the world!" Sounds like a blockbuster to me. Anyways, as I sat there with nature all around me, with so many things that are so much bigger than me, I just marvelled at the greatness of our God.

I mean, in comparison to the lake that I was hovering over, with just a fiberglass shell between me and the vast expanse under me, what was I? It seems that in comparison to God's creation, I am much like the dust. I am nothing. God created every water molecule, every sea creature, every plant, every everything. Yet still God loves me. Yet still God loves you. Take the time and just think of the enormity of the universe. So many planets, stars, moons, even asteroids and space debris that are bigger than the earth. it follows then, that the earth can be compared to dust in comparison to the rest of the universe. If earth is then dust compared to the rest of the universe, that kind of makes us less than dust. Yet still, God loves us.

Recently, I was listening to one of my new favourite bands, Gungor (shout out to Lena Rigby for acquainting me with this band). Seriously, do yourself a favour and listen to these guys if you never have. I was listening to the song "Beautiful Things" and the lyrics of the song are "You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of the dust, You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of us."

This is a process of God refining us through trials. That is what this life is. If you have lived any time at all, and I am guessing you are living, since you are reading this post, you know that this life is full of pain, trial, tribulation, and just overall evil. God uses these times of trial to refine us into the people He wants us to be. You see, just as He makes beautiful things out of the dust, He makes beautiful things out of us. No matter what you are going through, God is using it to His glory. If it is sickness, you might be healed for His glory. You also might not, so that you learn to depend on Him more, for His glory. Whatever it is, it is always for God's glory. Even the evil plans that Satan had in the Fall, when he made sin enter into the world, God used for His glory, to send His Son.

 In Romans 5, it says that even while we were weak, even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. You have to understand this. he died while we were still imperfect. He did not wait until we cleaned our lives up, till we cleaned up our language or habits or minds. He died for us while we were still sinners, imperfect children of God. If you remember nothing else today, remember that Jesus died for you at the cross, while you were still a sinner. And He died for you today, and even if you are saved, you are still a sinner. However, God is refining us, even through our imperfections. He is making a beautiful things out of us, things that can be compared to dust in comparison to the entirety of His creation.

Let us be refined, to Glorify God...