I came across an interesting factoid today as I was researching for my next book.
The human body has approximately 100,000,000 (one hundred million) sensory receptors that enable us to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. And that is a testament to our Divine Designer. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. By the way, when was the last time you thanked God for each of your senses? We have seven million cones that enable us to perceive about ten million different colors. Doesn't it seem like we owe God seven million thank yous?
Now here is what I found fascinating: neurologists estimate that the average three-year old has 1,000,000,000,000,000 (one quadrillion) synaptic connections.
Honestly, those numbers numb us. But I think they reveal something significant. Our ability to imagine things in our mind is far greater than our ability to interpret physical reality. Mathematically speaking, imagination is ten million times more powerful than our five senses put together!
Naturalism is living down to the limit of our one hundred million sensory receptions. It is the inability or unwillingness to perceive reality that is beyond our five senses. The end result? Our universes shrinks to the size of our senses.
Faith is living beyond our five senses. It is being certain of what we do not see. One dimension of faith is imagining what our five senses can't perceive or confirm. It is extra-sensory perception. And that is why faith often seems like it is out of touch with reality. But that is because it is ten million times more powerful than our senses!
One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 3:20. It is actually our most-used benediction at National Community Church.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and throughout all generations for ever and ever, Amen.
Translation? God is able to do immeasurably more than we can imagine with our one quadrillion synapses. Amazing isn't it? Our imagination is ten million times more powerful than our five senses. But God is still able to do infinitely more than anything any of us can imagine with our one quadrillion synaptic connections. And to top it off, no mind has conceived of what God has prepared for us!
The human body has approximately 100,000,000 (one hundred million) sensory receptors that enable us to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. And that is a testament to our Divine Designer. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. By the way, when was the last time you thanked God for each of your senses? We have seven million cones that enable us to perceive about ten million different colors. Doesn't it seem like we owe God seven million thank yous?
Now here is what I found fascinating: neurologists estimate that the average three-year old has 1,000,000,000,000,000 (one quadrillion) synaptic connections.
Honestly, those numbers numb us. But I think they reveal something significant. Our ability to imagine things in our mind is far greater than our ability to interpret physical reality. Mathematically speaking, imagination is ten million times more powerful than our five senses put together!
Naturalism is living down to the limit of our one hundred million sensory receptions. It is the inability or unwillingness to perceive reality that is beyond our five senses. The end result? Our universes shrinks to the size of our senses.
Faith is living beyond our five senses. It is being certain of what we do not see. One dimension of faith is imagining what our five senses can't perceive or confirm. It is extra-sensory perception. And that is why faith often seems like it is out of touch with reality. But that is because it is ten million times more powerful than our senses!
One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 3:20. It is actually our most-used benediction at National Community Church.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and throughout all generations for ever and ever, Amen.
Translation? God is able to do immeasurably more than we can imagine with our one quadrillion synapses. Amazing isn't it? Our imagination is ten million times more powerful than our five senses. But God is still able to do infinitely more than anything any of us can imagine with our one quadrillion synaptic connections. And to top it off, no mind has conceived of what God has prepared for us!
9 Comments:
That's one of my favorite verses, too. And when Paul says that He'll do it "according to His power that is at work within us," I'm reminded that in chapter one he said that this is the same power he exerted when He raised Christ from the dead (1:19-20). That should be enough for what I'm facing today, as daunting as it seems!
I needed to read this today. I needed to be reminded that my faith has be so much stronger than what I perceive with my senses in order to be faith. And I don't need to limit my imagination to only what I can perceive with my senses. I especially needed to be reminded that God's imagination is so much greater than mine even on my best brainstorming day. I'm asking God for big things today and expecting an even bigger answer.
Thanks.
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My grandson is almost two. All those synapses may explain how his hands and feet go so many directions in such a short time...
I look forward to one day connecting with you. Love your heart, vision and book!
Brett
I just want to say 'thank you' for your ability to use God's wisdom. I was spiritually raised in a ministry-like many through out the world-that has a distrust of science. You understand how science actually glorifies God and talk about it accordingly! I always felt like I was thinking some form of blasphemy by getting excited about research I read or conduct. Thanks to you I am more at peace with how God has formed my thinking!
This is one of my favorite scriptures, Mark. What a great post. Thanks for inspiring me today.
--Terrace Crawford
http://www.terracecrawford.com
http://www.twitter.com/terracecrawford
Wow great post, found your blog thanks to Perry Nobles, will adding you to my reader. Good stuff, thanks for sharing.
That Mark Batterson is a smart guy! Good stuff, Mark, really makes me think. I love this kind of research, sure casts light on how intricate God designed us!
Thanks for writing!
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