And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. (Genesis 1:6-7, NIV)
Rain, rain, go away, let us play 18 today. No, that’s not the original, but it’s the prayer of many a golfer, especially here in the spring, when showers may interrupt a round or wipe it out altogether.
At home, we tend to wait out the rain. We drive to the clubhouse or take shelter in a hut on the course designed just for this purpose. Rains and lightning usually come and go quickly enough that we can afford the time to play it safe and dry. But if you’re a traveler and you’ve only so many days on Maui or walking the links of Scotland, you’ll likely play the glutton and bear through the rain.
Rain reminds us of the second day of creation as we read of it in Genesis 1. Here God separated the waters, sending some up while leaving some down. Our translation today names this separation a vault, which God called “sky.”
Today, in a matter of moments in an airplane, we can bridge this expanse and find ourselves in, then above, the clouds. But we could never dream of getting there in our own physical power. The distance is insurmountable. Which lands us on one of the great understandings of Scripture: the gap between God and humanity.
That throne is still a throne, and the sovereign who sits upon it is immeasurably different—and, in ways, distant—from us.From this side of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, we know that the chasm of sin has been spanned by the atoning work of our Savior. We who were far away have been brought near by what Christ has done through the shedding of his blood (Ephesians 2:13). And if we have been saved, we can approach God’s throne of grace with the confidence of sons and daughters (Hebrews 4:16). But that throne is still a throne, and the sovereign who sits upon it is immeasurably different—and, in ways, distant—from us. As a psalmist, David wrote that the greatness of God’s love for those who fear him is like the height of the heavens above the earth (Psalm 103:11). And as a prophet, Isaiah conveyed God’s own words: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).
God has come near to us, willing to restore the relationship we have broken. But it is still a relationship of those who are lower with one who is infinitely higher, and thus one who is endlessly deserving of our reverence and worship.
—
Jeff Hopper
April 9, 2021
Copyright 2021 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Fast Forward 1: The Creator
Fast Forward 2: Light and Darkness
Fast Forward 4: Water and Weeds
Fast Forward 5: Skylights
Fast Forward 6: Wild Kingdom
Fast Forward 7: Man Alive!
Fast Forward 8: The World We Live In