It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. (Isaiah 45:12)
The professional golf career of Jack Nicklaus didn’t exactly start with a bang. His first event as a professional was the 1962 Los Angeles Open, where his 50th-place finish earned him a paycheck of $33.33.
Of course, things got a little better for Jack after that, especially in the four major championships. Even if you disagree that Nicklaus is the greatest golfer of all time, you have to admit that his record in the majors is awe-inspiring.
Most people know he won more majors than anyone else, with a total of 18. However, beyond winning, Jack was consistently in the hunt. When considering Top Three finishes, Jack achieved that 46 times, which is 20 more than Tiger Woods, his closest competitor.
Over his career, he earned 73 Top Ten finishes, an incredible 45% of the times he teed it up in a major. From the 1970 British Open to the 1978 British Open, a span of 33 majors, Nicklaus finished in the top 10 every time but twice. And given how Jack focused on the majors, it’s appropriate that his first and last titles were majors – the 1962 US Open and the 1986 Masters.
Let’s transition from something impressive to something beyond impressive, worthy of wonder and praise: trying to fathom the breathtaking magnificence of God’s creation.
Let’s start with the big picture. Our home on planet Earth resides in the Milky Way galaxy. It’s said that if the 93 million-mile distance between the Earth and the Sun were the thickness of one piece of paper, the distance across the Milky Way would be a stack of paper 310 miles high.
If you’re having trouble picturing something that large, consider this: scientists estimate that there are at least 200 billion galaxies across the universe!
Now let’s switch from the vastness of space to the amazing design of the human body. Consider the incredible human heart, beating 100,000 times and pumping around 2500 gallons of blood every day. Our eyes, which give us sight, contain more than two million working parts.
When laid end to end, our bodies contain over 60,000 miles of blood vessels, sufficient to circle the Earth two and a half times. By the end of a person’s life, the brain is estimated to have processed around 150 trillion pieces of information.
Some deny God’s majestic handiwork and offer different theories on how both the universe and humanity were created. In response, Rice Broocks sums it up very well: “To say there is no evidence for an intelligent Creator is like saying the thousands of paintings in an art museum couldn’t have been painted because there are no artists visible in the gallery.”
The Bible tells us that God created this world to display his glory. And then, to demonstrate the love that defines who He is, He created us in his image, to worship Him and enjoy the world He created.
Take time today to reflect upon the breathtaking beauty of the world around you and give praise to the great “I Am” who created it. Amen.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, our finite minds cannot fully comprehend the infinite majesty of your creation. We default to the words of that old hymn: “Oh Lord, my God. When I, in awesome wonder. Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee – How Great Thou Art!” Amen.