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Significant
by Adam Bennett In my household I have one wife, three children, a dog and two budgies. At last count I had 43 Christmas cards and 59 friends on facebook. These indicators suggest I don't know very many of the estimated 6.7 billion people who comprise the world's population. Here's another number: according to the the Rice Association of the United Kingdom there are 64,380 long grains in a kilogram rice. That means each grain weighs about 0.034 grams. We could represent all the people who live in the world at present with 104,070 one kilogram bags of rice which stacked up would form a 165 cubic metre pile. Alternatively, you could picture five 20 foot shipping containers full of rice. If you imagine reaching into that enormous pile and choosing a single grain it would be natural to feel a little insignificant. But, as you hold that single grain in the palm of your hand you could be reminded of things God has said like, "I have engraved you on the palms of my hands" (Isaiah 49:16 NIV) and that he collects our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8 ESV). For further encouragement you could count the strands of hair on your head. The figures vary but, it is estimated that (not accounting for hair loss) people have between 100,000 and 150,000 or more hairs. Some researchers suggest the number of strands varies according to the hair colour with a blonde having 140,000, someone with brown hair having 110,000 strands, red: 90,000 and black: 108,000. God knows each of so intimately that he is aware of each strand of hair on our head. The Bible says, "the very hairs of your head are all numbered." (Luke 12:7 NIV) Copyright Adam Bennett 2009. More articles are available at http://godward-thoughts.blogspot.com/ Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |