Tuesday, December 2, 2008

shooting star

This morning, as I jogged before dawn, I spotted a "shooting star" briefly streak across the sky ahead.  I thought about that chunk of stone from space that may have been traveling for years..even centuries or more..without difficulty until it reached earth's gravitational pull and the friction of its atmosphere.  I thought about the difficulty that spaceships have reentering earth's atmosphere.  Apparently scientists studied meteorites that survived the fall to earth to determine how they made it.  They found that, while the outer part of the rock had burned away, the core had remained cool.  The outer rock burned up but the inner part had been insulated.  When applications were developed for spaceflight they found that a blunt surface was more effective to dissipate heat than a sharp, aerodynamic one.  Apparently the blunt surface slowed the vehicle down and didn't permit the friction to develop as much heat...and they alternated layers of very hard material with good insulating material to keep the heat away from the interior of the vehicle.  It occurs that, just as reentry from space is a challenge, so is entrance into the Kingdom of God.  Left to ourselves we'd burn up in an instant as we try on our own strength to make it.  It would appear from space that it would be an easy thing to just fly in and land on the planet.  But Heaven has an atmosphere too.  The only shield that can blunt that heat and absorb its intensity is the one provided by Jesus.  In a sense this illustrates the "one way" to salvation we have in Him, despite appearances of a broad entry.  By faith we grasp the need for Jesus to be our heat shield and protector as we move into Heaven's atmosphere.

2 Samuel 22:31 As for God, His way is perfect;
      The word of the LORD is proven;
      He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

 32 "For who is God, except the LORD?
      And who is a rock, except our God?


blessings,

Rob Smith

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