The Sovereign Creator could have made the universe functional and nothing more, but he chose to include beauty in his design. I have been thinking about what that says about his character. It is a good day when you take the time to explore the attributes of God, and end up with a doxology or even a "wow." (chuckle) That was me, at the end of a recent class--I just blurted out: "Wow!"
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As I ponder and soak in as much as this feeble mind could grasp about the beauty of God, I realize-- the splendor of creation is not the same level or intensity as the Creator's beauty. It is more like a dim reflection. I would compare this to how the moon does not give off its own intrinsic light, but rather it "glows" by reflecting the sun's light..
I see reminders of God's beauty when the sun's rays burst through the clouds in an evening sky. I see these reflections of God's beauty when I hear children laughing. I see it when an older person looks at their spouse of many years and they still have a sparkle in their eyes for each other..
Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalm 34:8)
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14 comments:
Beautifully said, Craver.
Our pastor preached on that very topic this past Sunday.
Your photo is stunning!!!
Hugs,
Jackie
Well written, Craver. You express yourself well!
This is both beautifully written and very profound. Thanks for sharing this with us.
That photo was one of the first pics I took with my new camera, Jackie. I hope to get more trees this weekend.
Isn't that cool when elements from the Sunday message are heard from other sources?
Why thank-you, EG!
Thanks George, I appreciate that. There is certainly plenty of inspiration.
Really, everything is beautiful, there is beauty everywhere you look. Even that daddy long legs in your previous post.
Shammy, your comment reminded me that my FAVORITE song when I was a young boy was Ray Stevens' Everything is Beautiful.
"Everything is beautiful in it's own way.
Like the starry summer night, or a snow-covered winter's day.
And everybody's beautiful in their own way.
Under God's heaven, the world's gonna find the way."
I can still remember singing along with the radio (circa 1972) in our Gran Torino station wagon. I also liked Sammy Davis Jr's The Candy Man.
It is a treasure to be able to see the beauty in things (and people) all around.
loved reading it!
how inspiring!
Good words bro. You honored your Father, Abba, with these fine words.
"a dim reflection". What will it be like when we see Jesus in all His glory, and our Father in all His glory. Moses asked to see the Glory. Peter and James and John had a glimpse of Christ's glory.
And you know, the Cross was, and is, and always shall be His glory, and our glory.
have a great weekend and Lord's Day Craver my good friend!
..and the photo is so beautiful!
The finest thing God ever made - Nature, what gets me is why is man so intent on destroying it?
Hey Craver, Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsXyRVQN70U&feature=player_embedded
Glad you liked it, Betty. I enjoyed both of your visits. :-)
You're exactly on the mark as usual, Sandman. Praise God that he drew you to himself!
Thank you Josiel. I speak Spanish, and it is similar enough to Portuguese, that I think I understood the essence of what you were trying to communicate. It is a blessing to hear that you were edified, and I'll return a visit to your site. I do not know how much I will be able to understand, though.
The answer to your question in a word Imac is "depravity." Our hearts are enslaved in sin. Fixing the symptoms of our sin is like putting makeup on a corpse. What we need is not shallow and cosmetic; what we need is to have life breathed into us, so that we can open our eyes and truly live. That is accomplished by the Triune God. It is more than the religious show we see lots of people performing on Sundays.
If I may be so bold, my friend, I would make one correction to your statement. Nature is indeed marvelous and inspiring, but the Scriptures teach that it is mankind that is the finest thing God ever made. When a tree goes bad, it may be replaced... but when man goes bad, Jesus shed his own blood so that his people might be redeemed. I would love to see that you come to know Christ in that way.
we have lost something in our faith if we cannot see the beauty in the things you list. thanks for this reminder.
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