You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘creation’ tag.
O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:9 (NASB)
As I write this the internet and news programs have been filled with pictures of a fantastic display of the ‘northern lights.’ Unfortunately in my part of the world we’ve been living under the clouds and have missed the beauty of this phenomenon. They are, however just one reminder to me of the great God we serve.
A God of power as evidenced by nature itself in the power of storms that cover the face of the earth; a volcano; the sheer force of a waterfall; the destructive invisible force of the wind.
He is a God of creativity as seen in a sunrise or sunset; the many colors of nature; the vast array of animal and plant life. Sorry. I don’t buy evolution. Not for one second. None of this could have happened by chance. None of it!
He is a God of love and intimacy. How do I know that? I’ve seen the gentleness of a mothers touch. I’ve enjoyed the intimacy I have with the one I love. I’m made in God’s image. Passion and intimacy didn’t just happen. He put it in us to enjoy, to share, to get excited about!
He’s a God of quiet, gentle strength as seen in the gentle endurance of a flower when faced with the elements, as seen in a bird riding out the storm in perched on a branch swinging violently as if to toss its passenger to the ground.
He is a HUGE God. If our universe is any indication of what my God can do, his immensity is incomprehendable.
He’s a God of miracles. I think that every time I see a newborn baby. The giver and sustainer of life. That mass in a woman’s womb isn’t a mass at all. It’s a new creation, a life to be cherished, protected and honored because every day of its existence, from conception has been ordained by God.
But the greatest miracle of all is what he did for me. His power, his creativity, his quiet gentle strength, his intimacy and his immense size is nothing compared to his love and forgiveness that he gave me when his Son Jesus died for me and rose again to give me the promise of eternal life.
In the grand scheme of things I am nothing more than a mere microscopic speck. Yet in my insignificance he saw significance. In my weakness he saw strength. In my hopelessness, he sees hope.
The prophet Nehemiah writes, “You alone are the LORD, Creator of the heavens and all the stars, Creator of the earth and those who live on it, Creator of the ocean and all its creatures. You are the source of life, praised by the stars that fill the heavens.” Nehemiah 9:6 (CEV)
The greatest miracle of all? The fact that the creator God of the universe loves me enough to die for me.
PRAYER: Father God. Jehovah. I can find no other words today than to repeat the words of David, “O LORD, my Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! Amen.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:3
“He made all things.” Let those words pause in your mind for a moment. The original languages give the sense of detail, not overall systems. Walk out on a star filled night and look up. How far can you see? In a sense you can see to eternity for there is no canopy.
Every star? He put it there for you. Scientists think that perhaps every star may have a solar system with planets. Does that mean there is life out there? Frankly, I don’t care. I’m more amazed at the enormity of space and the enormity of the God who created it!
“He made all things.” I love to look at newborn babies. Those tiny, tiny fingers and tiny toes. The newness of life. What a miracle. The complexity of life, of growing! Even the brain function it takes to read this sentence is utterly amazing! And to think that the whole process of life from beginning to end is not simply set in motion, but guided, ordained by its maker. Astounding!
And when I think of the unseen world. The fact that our bodies are made up of so many different cells, each working together to bring us life; to help us think, reason, feel, be passionate. The way love makes you feel when it grows and endures the tough times. Exciting!
The one who made the mountains with all their grandeur also made the fragile flower, so delicate to touch yet able to withstand ferocious winds. Soft to touch but able to endure the toughest drought. Saplings springing from the hardest granite.
Take some time to look around you. Look past the pain of life, just for a moment. Ignore the fear and worry of the future, just for a minute. Take a deep breath and enjoy the creativity of the many colors in the sunset; the beauty of the fallen snow; the creativity that surrounds us.
All this was made by Jesus and he did it for you. The bible tells us he came to his own and they didn’t take time to notice. Who were his own? Was it the rocks he created? The animals he formed? The water he separated from the land? Nope. It was the only thing scripture says was made in his image. You and I. He made us in his image because he knew that would be the best way to enjoy the world he created.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus. I’ve been so distracted of late by the worries of life. I see the pain others are going through. I feel my own agony. Just for a moment let me see the beauty you’ve created for me. Thank you for loving me enough to put me where I am. Amen.
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20 (NLT)
How can you believe in something you can’t see? People ask that question regarding God as they seek spiritual freedom. In reality we believe in many things we can’t see. It’s our choice to believe in them or not. For example, I can say I no longer believe oxygen is required for life because I can’t see oxygen. Does that change the life-giving qualities of oxygen? Nope. How about gravity? Suppose I climb to the highest peak of my roof and announce to the world, “Gravity, I no longer accept your existence! I can’t see you. You have done me no good. Therefore you either don’t exist or don’t care!” If I then proceed to jump from my roof, what will be the result? Will gravity have any less effect? Unfortunately, no.
Ok, (you may say) suppose I choose to believe in God. What proof can you give of his existence? Gravity shows itself every day. Science has been able to ‘see’ oxygen. Where can I see proof of God? My answer to you will be to look out the window. When I look out the window or take a walk or travel I see many things about God that point me to him.
- I see that God is creative. Just looking outside now I see at least 10 different shades of green. Just one color! Yet many different shades.
- I see that God admires beauty when I look at a sunset or scan the horizon from a high peak, or look into the face of the one I love.
- I see that God is gentle when I touch the petal of a flower and feel its softness.
- I see God enjoys mystery when I contemplate how life begins and the many different life forms that are seen and unseen, extinct and still walking our planet. It takes more faith to believe in evolution than to believe in the creator God of Genesis.
- I see God is very smart when I look at the scientific community and hear of the things we’ve ‘discovered’. I admit I chuckle when we use that term. We don’t ‘discover’ things. We simply find the things God has put into our world for us to find.
- I see God is powerful when I see the power of an earthquake or storm and realize that all of our human resources alone can’t control nature. But God can control it with a spoken word.
- I see God is passionate when I watch people who are truly in love interact with life.
- I see God is forgiving when I remember that he sent his very own son to die for me when I least deserve it.
There are so many other ways God shows himself to us on a daily basis. Too often we are too busy to notice. Take time today, as you go about your tasks, to look for examples of god’s inner qualities in nature around you.
PRAYER: Holy God, I’m in awe when I contemplate the great power of your world. I worship and praise you for showing us so many things about you. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for your Spirit that dwells within. Empower me to day to give you glory with every step I take, every word I speak and every action I take. In Jesus name, Amen.
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT)
Everyone has those times when they feel overwhelmed by the things before them. It may be a struggle with health, relationships, kids, finances or a whole boatload of other issues.
When we are under the stress of battle it affects every part of our bodies. Physically we get drained and weak. Emotionally we can get crabby, depressed or angry. We can start blaming others or ourselves. Spiritually we wrestle with doubts about God’s ability or desire to help us. We begin to lose confidence in ourselves and faith in others.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could be assured that you have the power you need to conquer every obstacle, overcome every enemy and solve every issue that is before you?
As Christ-followers we have all the power of God the Father at our fingertips. Imagine that! The same power it took to raise Jesus from death, roll the stone away like a pebble, calm the storm and create the world is all at our fingertips because of Jesus!
So, why don’t you feel the power? We feel powerless when we expect God to give us power according to what we see as our needs. However God gives us power according to his wisdom and power.
Think of him as a carpenter. You want your house (this life you are living) to be remodeled. You are tired of the way things are. So you ask him to change things. But remodeling is never easy, never neat and never without pain.
With all the power of the universe at his fingertips, God wants to make you into a masterpiece. But to do that he needs to change you, to remodel you, to take the old and make you new. Don’t worry. He’s a master at creating something from nothing. Give him permission to show his power in your life. It may be painful at times, but the results will be stunning!
PRAYER: Father God, I thank you for your promise that all your power can be shown in me. I pray that you would give me the courage to give you full permission to change me into the person you want me to be. I know it will be painful and fearful at times, but I trust your creative wisdom to make me into something marvelous! In Jesus name, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 