The Math of God

I got a link to this website the other day and browsed through some of their "De-motivation" posters (which I must confess are mostly hilarious).

 

This one caught my eye because it relates to a mathematical concept I've been meaning to write about.

Really, this picture saved me about a thousand words because it pretty much says it all.  Here's my mathematical version.

In English, it's "any number divided by infinity equals zero".  For example, take the numbers in that picture - seventy-four divided by maybe 200 million years.  That would be 0.00000037. That's a pretty small ratio. It simply illustrates how small our time on earth is relative to geologic time. If you want even smaller numbers compare your one little life to the number of people on earth. That makes you or me about 0.00000000166 percent of the world's population. It's pretty daunting to try to stand out in that crowd! The people at Despair.com would probably say "don't bother."

If you want to consider even more astronomical numbers, consider that God was around for eternity before the universe was created (maybe 13.7 billion years ago or so). Consider that the universe itself, which would take at least 13.7 billion years to cross at light speed, is a small thing to God in terms of both time and space.

You see, that equation I gave you means more than just how small our life is. It means that no matter how long and magnificent nor how short and small our physical life here on earth is, it's all the same in the end: ZERO.

Now before you give up in despair, let me point out something very important.

 



The God of the infinite has made an incredible offer to mortal man. He offers to come alongside us and to enter our hearts; to make us part of his infinite, timeless kingdom. His infinite presence in our heart makes us much greater than zero. (How much of him we allow in our heart really determines how great that number can be.)

There's just one thing preventing us from taking this fruit of eternal life - we have a massive debt to pay off. That debt is called "iniquity" in the Bible. It results from our selfish nature that causes each of us to pursue our own pleasure in defiance of God and at the expense of others. By allowing ourselves to be equal to God in determining the course of our lives (the original sin) we are accountable to an infinitely high standard (to be sinless), which no mortal man can satisfy.

When the original man and woman became sinful by nature, God removed our access to eternity, by withdrawing himself from our view and blocking the way to the tree of life. He did this for a simple but profound reason - a eternal sinner is infinitely evil and destructive. Satan and his dark angels are in this realm and must be bound and detained for eternity.

At the right time, God took a part of himself in the form of his son Jesus, and offered his life as the sufficient payment for our iniquity. His perfect sacrifice, being of infinite value, is greater than the sum total of all our debts before the high standard of the law.

Now if we receive this incredible gift from God, and allow Jesus to take his rightful place as our director in every aspect of our lives, we can enter into his eternal kingdom and eat the fruit of the tree of life. It is this infinite gift that gives us meaning in the vast eternity beyond space and time. Everything else that we see and treasure is - well - nothing really. As British missionary C. T. Studd once wrote:

Only one life, 'twill soon be past.

Only what's done for Christ will last.

The River That Flows From God's Throne

I was reading the Gospel of John the last few days and came across something that made me seek a little more understanding.

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” Others were saying, “This is the Christ.”
John 7:37-41

If you're just reading along, you might miss the context.  This is Hoshana Rabbah, a most joyous day of the year in Israel.  The people have just celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, which is a week-long praise service to remember their wandering in the wilderness, and God's provision of food and water for the children of Israel.

Jesus stands up and cries in a loud voice that HE is the source of the life-giving water that comes from the throne of God.  And He prophesies that believers in Him will be conduits of this life-giving water (the Holy Spirit) for the world's refreshment.  He relates Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 55, Ezekiel 47) to the New Testament church that is yet to be born.

When the people hear this prophecy, their reaction is startling.  Some become convinced Jesus is the greatest prophet; others that He is indeed their Messiah.  Those few brief words are so exquisitely spoken and timed, they strike a resonant chord in the heart of the faithful.  But some are infuriated that Jesus would bind Himself to the words of Isaiah in such a setting, and they seek to kill Him.

This inspired me to learn more about this river of life, and what I learned was truly wonderful.  Let me start with Ezekiel.

Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side.
      When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me back to the bank of the river.
Ezekiel 47:1-6

The water that was trickling from the east side of the Temple soon became an ankle-deep stream, and less than a mile downstream the life-giving water became a mighty river.  What would cause the waters to grow from a trickle to a mighty river?  What causes the Spirit of God to enter a person as a drink, and to leave a person as a river of life?  It is as if the faith of the believer greatly magnifies the flow of the Spirit.  The picture in my mind is the throne of God, established in the heart of every believer, that causes him or her to become a tributary of the river of life.

Not only does the river of living water nourish the body, but it satisfies the soul and gives eternal life.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:13-14

God Himself calls us to come to the river and drink freely.  (You might want to listen to this beautiful John Foley song sung by Matt Maher while you read the rest of this...)

“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost.
Isaiah 55:1


What does the river of life look like?  It starts at the foot of the cross where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.  It pours over the apostles in the upper room.  It bubbles from their tongues and spreads like wildfire over the believers of the early church.  It is fed by the blood, sweat and tears of martyrs  under persecution from their Jewish and Roman rulers.  It sweeps through the dark ages of post-Roman Europe and bubbles out of the Protestant reformers and Methodist revivalists at the dawn of the industrial revolution.  It bursts forth new branches in home churches throughout Africa, underground churches in Asia, and newly awakened churches in the West.  If you can hear it, it probably sounds like a mighty rushing wind.  If you listen closely you may hear the prayers and worship of the saints.

Every believer adds testimony, tears and travails to this vast and unending river of life that continues to flow from the throne of God.  In a manner of speaking, every believer becomes a tree of life planted by the river, each bearing fruit in its time.

“By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”
Ezekiel 47:12

 On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:2

Oh that I might drink anew from that beautiful stream, that I might be immersed in its flow and refreshed in my innermost being!  That I might plant my life firmly by its banks and bring forth everlasting fruit!  Lord Jesus, every day I will come to the river.  I will bow down and water the seeds that I have sewn with tears, and soon I will return with joyful shouting bringing bountiful fruit and healing leaves!

So let it be Lord, so let it be.