“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. – Job 38:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 17, 2012): Job 38

I have been interested in Lagrange Points for a while. A Lagrange Point (there are five of them) are the points in a three body system where the gravitational pull is equal on another body in orbit. So, for the Earth, moon and sun, the Lagrange point would be the place where the gravitational pull from the orbital bodies is equal. In theory, it is the place where an orbiting satellite would be held in position by the gravities of the Earth, moon and sun without expending any other energy.

The problem is that the points are not necessarily there. So space missions to the Lagrange points tend to orbit the points. Rather than being the spot where no energy is required to hold a body in orbit, it becomes a place where minimal energy is required to hold a body in positional orbit. It is just a little more complicated than the math would indicate. And there are more than just three bodies at work. All of the planets exert some kind of force on us.

God finally begins to speak. And his question is this - do you have all of the answers? And even now with all of our knowledge of scientific knowledge, the best we can come up with is that we know some things. And even the things that we think we know, we may discover tomorrow that we really don’t understand. Our response to God is really the same as Job and his friends. We were not there when the foundations of the world were laid. We know more, and we are learning more. But we just don’t have all of the answers.

Part of being happy as we live life is just in the understanding that we don’t know. And while I think that we should endeavor to know more about the world around us – we don’t have to know all of the answers. All that is required of us is that we acknowledge the one who does.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Job 39