Going Away

Have you ever tried to get away from it all, travelling to some remote location in the hope that you will have some privacy for a while?  Fifty years ago this month, two men were preparing to go somewhere no-one else had ever been before.  Their names were Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin and on 16th July 1969, with Michael Collins, they set off.  Four days later, Armstrong and Aldrin left Collins in the command module Columbia, entered the lunar module Eagle and finally reached their destination.  In the early hours of 21st July (GMT) Armstrong spoke those famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, as he became the first man ever to set foot on the moon.  

You would think the moon was far enough away to be able to escape from everyone, but not so.  The Apollo 11 mission was such an historic event that, more than half a billion people watched live as Armstrong stepped onto the moon!

Nowadays it seems you can’t go anywhere without being seen by surveillance cameras.  There might still be a few remote areas of the world which are completely hidden from man, but not from God: “Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?” says the LORD; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23v23-24)       

What an amazing thought that God knows where everyone is!  It might seem daunting to some, but to those who trust in God it’s reassuring to know that He can see us, wherever we are, and is ready to help if we want.  As the Psalmist wrote, “ …If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, …”.   (Psalm 139v7-10)

Photo by History in HD on Unsplash