Approximately $18.5 billion is spent each year trying to get rid of it. And roughly $154 billion in the U.S. alone is spent cleaning up after it blows in the wind.
What are we talking about?
Dust.
In our homes, we use microfiber cloths designed to trap tiny particles instead of sending them back into the air. We use sprays to make dust stick to the rag. And if you live on a dirt road in Montana, dust can become a never-ending aggravation!
So I Googled a question I never thought I would ask: Why did God create dust?
I couldn't understand why an almighty God would create something so seemingly worthless and endlessly annoying. What I discovered stopped me in my tracks.
What man sees as worthless, God can see as extraordinarily valuable.
God used dust to form the first human body—a physical reminder of our frailty and our complete dependence on Him.
Genesis 2:7 tells us, “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
Think about it. God didn't use gold, silver or precious jewels to form us. He chose something humble. Something common. Something lifeless on its own.
Dust.
Then God did something only He could do. He breathed His own breath of life into it, and dust became a living person. Dust is weak. It is easily moved by the wind. It has no power of its own. And perhaps that's the point.
We can spend our lives trying to prove our worth, control our circumstances and become strong enough to handle everything on our own. Yet God reminds us where our true life comes from.
Him.
The very thing I considered a nuisance became a beautiful reminder: I am not self-sufficient. I was created by God, sustained by God and completely dependent on God.
I quickly realized I couldn't begin to think like God! And maybe I don't need to. Maybe I simply need to trust the One who does.
Today's song takes me even deeper into the wonder of creation:
“The world is full of what You've made, and full of reasons not to fear.
You named the light before the morning—named the dark before the night.
And if You named the dust I'm standing on, then You know me—You know me!”
Those words touched my heart because if God knows the dust beneath my feet, He certainly knows me.
He knows my joys and my sorrows. He knows the questions I carry, the things I cannot control and the places in my heart I don't always understand myself.
And the God who breathed life into dust still breathes life into us today.
So the next time I see dust settling on my furniture—or blowing across a Montana road—I hope I remember something far more important than reaching for a dust cloth. I am standing on something God created. And the God who created it knows me, loves me and holds my life in His hands.
What looks insignificant to us may hold a purpose far greater than we can see. Perhaps the next time life makes you feel small, insignificant or powerless, remember where you came from.
Dust in His hands became life. And you are in His hands, too.
Closing Prayer
Lord, thank You for reminding me You see value where I often see inconvenience or worthlessness. Help me remember I don't have to understand everything You create or everything You allow. I simply need to trust You.
When I feel weak or insignificant, remind me You know me completely, love me deeply and are the source of my life. Breathe Your life into me today and help me live fully dependent on You. Amen.
