Rachel Whisman

It was a gift to watch my students be enamored and captivated by something larger than themselves. Their minds could not comprehend what they were viewing, but the excitement only built as the seconds passed by. They looked more intently and eagerly as they were on the edge of their seats. Below, is what I showed.

I remember watching a similar type of video, when I was in high school, and being floored by the comparison of moons, planets, suns, dark holes, and galaxies. Each comparison seemed fake or unrealistic. Yet, somehow true. It felt as if I had gone back in time getting to watch this for the first time. An excitement continued to rumble in my classroom at the mere shock of the reality of the sizes in comparison to one another. Just when they thought they might have some sort of grasp on how large something was, they were immediately humbled at the realization that something far more grand existed beside it. Amid the video, one of my students responded with a glimmer in her eyes, “Wow. This is just so beautiful.” Her gaze was transfixed at the awe of the magnitude and she could not tear her attention away from it. She was enthralled. Whereas the boys in the room could not contain themselves and ripped themselves out of their chairs shouting in excitement towards one another and spitting out Gen alpha slang that is incoherent to me. 

Halfway through the video, Ephesians 3:20 popped into my mind, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.” The phrase, “far more abundantly” continued to simmer in my mind alongside what I was viewing. God had created all of these planets. Various in size, purpose, color, etc. He did not just stop there but continued to make suns, moons, galaxies, and far more than we can comprehend. God being all-wise and I am not, “Do not lean on your own understanding…do not be wise in your own eyes” (proverbs 3:5,7).  God being all-knowing and I am not. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.” (1 Corinthians 13:12). God being love, patient, just, wrathful, holy, kind, steadfast, joyful, peace, and righteous, and all of Him is far more than we can ever imagine…but may we imagine. 

May we join Paul in reminding ourselves of who God is and ask in faith and prayer for things far beyond our comprehension. He promises to answer in His will, “And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). We do not ultimately know how they will be answered, but we know who answers them, the God of the universe. The God who created you. His intentions are far greater than we can comprehend. So ask. Ask Him to grow your love for Him. Ask Him for a hunger for His word. Plead on behalf of the broken-hearted in your life. Rejoice in all that God supplied for you the previous day. 

Also, may we rest and trust in Him. Remember the phrase, “far more abundantly.” He is “far more” concerned about your needs and wants than you are. He is “far more” capable than you are. He is “far more” determined for your good and His glory. He is “far more” better than anyone or anything else. Just watch the video to be reminded of that. As we gaze upon the beauty of who God is in His word and talk with Him in prayer, it is my prayer that our heart posture would reflect that of my seven-year-old student when she said, “Wow. This is just so beautiful.”

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all the generations, forever and ever. Amen.” -Ephesians 3:20-21