Recently, as Teresa and I made our way back to Tennessee from a brief visit to South Carolina, we made our way through the Smoky Mountain National Park. The drive between Cherokee, NC, and Gatlinburg, TN through the heart of the park is stunning in natural beauty. We make this drive quite often, never tiring of the the seasonal changes.

This trip was a little different. It was already dark as we made our way toward the Newfound Gap overlook. We had been talking about being at the overlook in the dark of night so we might be able to enjoy the majesty of a starlit sky with no city lights to diminish the splendor – and we were not disappointed.

We stood in the quiet, still night, gazing up into the majestic beauty of the expanse before us. In one way it made me feel so small, so insignificant, peering into the endless sky rolling out before me. Just that which I could see with the physical eye was enough to put me into a state of utter astonishment. And then, to think about that which was invisible to the physical eye was far more than that which could be seen made me feel even smaller, and much more insignificant. How could one individual human being in such a vast universe have any true meaning at all? What is the meaning of one life in light of this vastness?

However, my mind quickly went to some amazing Biblical truths. First, the Bible teaches that man was created in the image of God. Think about that truth for a moment. You, I, we, are created in the image of God. The creator of all that we gazed upon in the darkness of that mountainside, created man in His image. No other part of His massive created work even begins to compare with that wonderful truth. That gives meaning and significance to my life, to your life.

Second, I was reminded by the still, small voice of God speaking to me through the beauty of His creation about the fact that, even though we were created in the image of God, we have done much to damage that image. Because of sin, the image of God was marred. Where man had enjoyed the sweetness of His presence and fellowship, sin had now severed that fellowship. The beautiful earth God had created was now cursed due to man’s rebellion. Sin brought about what appeared to be irreparable harm to the created order.

But then, God did the unthinkable. God the Father sent God the Son into the world to pay the penalty for our sin. Now please understand that this introduction of sin with the resulting curse of God upon the created order had not taken God by surprise. Before God created anything, He already knew His human creation would rebel, thus incurring the justified wrath of God. However, God preordained a plan by which sinful man could be reconciled to the perfect God of the universe. That plan called for Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to provide a means of reconciliation between God and His fallen human family.

And this, above and beyond anything else, reminded me of how significant I am. No, not significant in and of myself, but significant because I am now a child of God, the creator who had brought the entirety of the created order into existence with nothing more that His spoken word. But when He created man, He created him to be the image bearer of God. And even after man sinned, God had already made plans for fallen man’s redemption.

Next time you have the opportunity to gaze into a star lit night, be reminded of the fact that in the vastness of His created order, you are the one He loved enough to pay the price of your sin penalty. He did that for you and me, and in return He asks that we let His light shine through us so others might see the majesty of His glory in us. He deserves it: let’s do it!