Mr. Universe?

"Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises on the harp to our God, [8] who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the mountains. [9] He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens that cry. [10] He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. [11] The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy."  Psalm 147:7-11

On the first Tuesday in November, the Melbourne cup horse race is held annually in Victoria, Australia.  It is often called "the horse race that stops a nation."  For many people in Victoria it is a holiday where men don suits and women wear dresses and fancy hats to watch the horses race.  Even people who are not horse racing fans gather to watch the powerful steeds, pick their winner, and place their bets.  All can appreciate the quickness and power of a horse running at top speed.  God is the One who has given him strength and clothed him with thunder (Job 39:19).  God is pleased with His creation, but it is not the strength of a horse that gives Him greatest delight.  God takes pleasure in those who fear Him.

Proverbs 20:29 says, "The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head."  Young men do glory in their feats of strength, ability to run, bench press max, and how many push-ups or sit-ups or pull-ups they can do.  Entire stores are dedicated to nutrition for building lean muscle and maximizing the effect of a workout.  Pictures of heavily-muscled copper-toned bodies plaster the magazine covers and tubs of protein powder.  Man has engineered chemicals and workouts to make the human body so muscular it almost looks foreign.  Though man may glory in his strength, God is not impressed or moved by the muscles in a man's arms or legs.  He is not intimidated by "Mr. Universe" in pink drawers, complete with 22 inch arms and 57-inch chest:  God takes pleasure in those who fear Him and those who hope in His mercy.

Isn't it ironic that man would create an award dedicated to someone deemed "Mr. Universe," the limits of whose body can be measured in inches with a piece of tape?  One man earns the title of Mr. Universe one year, and the next year another will take his place.  A horse deemed the Melbourne Cup winner one year is not guaranteed even to show the next.  I ask you, how great is our God?  How amazing are His infinite eternal attributes!  He is the Creator of the Universe and covers the sky with clouds, and provides food and water to support life on earth.  We who are intimidated by a man who stands six inches taller than us should be absolutely overcome with abject humility before the One who spoke the world into existence and knows all the stars by name.  We ought to cower before a God of such power and might.  The universe itself is far too minuscule a measuring unit for any attribute of the God of heaven.

If God takes pleasure in a man who fears God and hopes in His mercy, may those qualities mark our lives.  We are not capable to change ourselves any more than we are able to shake the earth by stomping our feet.  As God says in Zech. 4:6, "...Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."  It is not by the power of a horse or the strength of a man where we ought to glory, but in our awesome God who is our Father, Savior, and LORD.  We should be as the men of faith when threatened with being burned alive in Daniel 3:16-18:  "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. [17] If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

Is your god whom you serve able to deliver you from a fiery furnace?  Is your god able to deliver you from death, sin, hopelessness, and fear?  My God is able, for His strength far exceeds the strength of any created thing, for He is the Creator of all.  Instead of fearing what man can do to us, let us fear God in the beauty of His holiness.  We should not serve God because of all the good we have received from Him, but because He is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory in Himself.  Men admire a horse because of his speed and a man for his muscles, but our God is the "Over and Above All One."  Know that our God values those who fear Him above all which a man admires.  Man's desires perish with Him, but those who fear God will eternally remain the apple of His eye.  Rejoice in this, O man, for this is a great privilege and honor we are unworthy of!  Glorify your Maker through your trust and faithfulness, for those who rest in Him will never be put to shame.