Today’s readings.. (1 Kings 8), (Jeremiah 34), (Mark 8)
 
   The magnificent temple Solomon built was opened and dedicated.  Consider the words Solomon used in addressing God!  “Whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), that they may fear you all the days that they live …”[1 Kings 8 v.38-40]  Does God “know” your heart?  He must, he can give your life real meaning!
  How can God “know the hearts of all”?  Is this an exaggeration?  During my lifetime clever human beings have discovered more of the ‘magic’ of making use of the ‘waves’ in the air that were discovered in the 19th Century: they can now transmit words and pictures around the world in an instant. The scientists of those earlier days were convinced there was a Great Creator.  The scientist Faraday reasoned that God could not have created air and space with nothing in it!    He, with other scientists of that age, experimented and discovered radio waves of varying frequencies.
   Stop and think of the ‘power’ you tap into when you pick up a mobile phone and ring any one of countless millions of people in any country in the world within a minute or two – isn’t it telling you something?  Isn’t it telling you to think carefully about what the Creator can do? Yes, he can “know” the hearts of all human beings!
   We live in an age of wonders, but these should and must lead to us to wonder at – and be in awe of – the Creator.  as to what we human beings, that God has created, can do – so should we not be ready to think of how God wants to be involved in our thinking and doing?  Remember Paul’s words to the idol worshipping people of Athens.  He told them about the One true God, saying, “In Him we live and move and have our being” [Acts 17 v.28]  Think what those words mean!
    Paul told them, “that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him … he is actually not far from each one of us.” [v.27]  David starts his 139th Psalm with this remarkable observation! “O LORD, you have searched me and known me … you discern my thoughts from afar.”   Awesome!  We ignore God at our peril.  Sadly nearly everyone does – make sure you are not among them.