A World of Dust

Genesis 2:7
“And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

It’s behind your refrigerator and under your bed. It’s part of the air you breathe. While dust is common, it’s not commonplace at all.

Much of the dust in our everyday lives is nothing more than tiny particles of skin, clothing, carpeting – just pieces of everyday life floating in the air. Studies of dust particles reveal that most dust is soil. However, a second common dust – even a thousand miles from the sea – is salt, driven into the wind by the waves. This salt helps form the clouds that bring us rain. The next most common forms of natural dust are volcanic eruptions and forest fires. Transatlantic winds pick up the dust of the Sahara and sweep it across the ocean where enough of it lands in Miami to sometimes give the rain a light pink color.

Not only does your home have dust from all over the world, there’s probably also some from outer space. Ten thousand tons of disintegrating meteorites and comets rain down on the Earth every year. You can even identify some of this dust by running a magnet through the dust in a rain gutter. Most of the magnetic particles that stick to the magnet are probably from space. In addition, some dust is alive, made up of pollen, fungus spores and even dormant bacteria, hoping to land on a good place to grow.

Dust reminds us that the world is smaller than we think and that it won’t last forever. Are you ready for the next world? All your preparations have been made by Jesus Christ. Find out in the Bible what He has done for you today.

Prayer:
Lord, as dust reminds us that this life and Earth is temporary, assure me through Your Word – which is eternal – that I shall live with You forever. Help me to look forward to this even more than I do now. Amen.

Notes:
Moser, P.W. 1986. Discover, Nov. p. 107.