WORD OF THE WEEK - PARAMETER - 4/27/25

Definition: A parameter is a set of facts or a fixed limit that establishes or limits how something can or must happen or be done.
Scriptures:Proverbs 3:5-6 - “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”Exodus 20: 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. Matthew 22:37-40 - “ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Website:  www.wow-newton.com

Website: www.wow-newton.com
Email:  osnewton@wow-newton.com

Transcript

Definition: A parameter is a set of facts or a fixed limit that establishes or limits how something can or must happen or be done.

 
Scriptures:Proverbs 3:5-6 - “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Exodus 20: 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

Matthew 22:37-40 - “ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

THOUGHT
One of the most influential and scientifically profound discussions about the creation of the universe that I have ever heard came from the noted scientist and astronomer Carl Sagan, on a Saturday morning children’s program.  I was about thirteen at the time.Mr. Sagan was a scientist that was not given to religious or biblical interpretation of how man came to be, however his explanation of how the earth and its inhabitants were created was so compelling that it made me pick up my Bible and read Genesis.  
Mr. Sagan scientifically explained that in the vastness of the universe, with the  infinity of time and the right combination of elements, that the creative process could result in the world we call Earth.  That idea fascinated me. His explanation opened my mind to understand what was stated in 2 Peter 3:8, which says: "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."  
Unintentionally, Mr. Sagan set me on a path that reinforced my understanding of God as limitless—omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient, unrestricted by time, power, or knowledge.”
Everything on Earth operates within parameters defined from the beginning. Unlike God, humans are constrained by the parameters that define their creation.  To breathe, humans require the specific elements functioning in a specific way to live. Gravity is the parameter that keeps everything on Earth from flying into space.  For life to continue, living beings must consume other living beings, each within the limits of their design.  
Yet, humans, with their limited intelligence perpetually contend with the parameters that define their existence. Humans create mathematical models to explain the universe and the nature of time, attempting to shape what they do not fully understand. While pondering the reason for human existence, humans study, hypothesize, and then attempt to duplicate with God-like intention that that has already been created.
Sometimes I wonder if amongst the stars, God created a planet whose inhabitants are content with living in the place where God placed them.  I wonder if there is any of God’s creation who are content with worshiping and walking with God in the cool of the evening.  I wonder if there are beings who were obedient enough to receive the trust of God that made them worthy to access and eat from the fruit of the trees that were forbidden to Adam and Eve.  I wonder what such beings would look like and whether they have been elevated to a status beyond anything we could comprehend.  
Is it too late to become a world that abides by the spiritual and moral laws that requires humanity to honor, worship, have faith and obedience to God. Are the parameters of humanity so broken that we are doomed to never fully embrace love, compassion, justice and forgiveness or take care of the earth, and all the gifts that God has provided?
Did God intentionally create this world beyond the reach of scientific explanation because humanity insists on living outside the simple, beautiful parameters God set for our existence?
Think about it!