God’s Exhibit

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name in all the earth, who has displayed Thy splendor above the heavens!” (Ps.8:1)

In 1851 the first world’s fair opened in London, England, by Queen Victoria and her husband Albert. It was housed in a huge glass structure known as “The Crystal Palace.” European nations were invited to display their industry and technology, but England made sure they stole the show by cramming it with their own things. Almost a third of the population of England attended it. The following year, all its contents were transferred to a new site which eventually developed into the Victoria and Albert Museum. Expanded for over a century, it now covers over 12 acres of galleries displaying the glories of the Victorian age. Every country likes to have a place to show off its accomplishments.

The great God of the universe has likewise given us a marvelous display of his power and glory. It’s not housed in any great building on earth, but above us in the universe He created. Provided the sky is clear, you can see it every night by viewing the stars and galaxies that surround us. David, who wrote Psalm 8, was once a shepherd who worked in the pastures of Israel and often marveled at the night sky. With no lights to interfere, it must have been an amazing sight. This is how he knew God is real, for it is His exhibit for man to examine.

What do we learn from the stars? Some people look at the universe for scientific reasons alone, ignoring its maker. That’s like examining things in a museum and failing to notice the greatness of a nation. The stars teach us that God is powerful, organized, greater than all things, that man is so small, and, amazingly, that He looks after man. God intended the heavens to be a wonderful display of who He is.

I hope you get to go outside on a clear summer night and see God’s display.

– Tim Johnson