The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"To Behold the Beauty"
God could have made creation without color, or without giving us the rods and cones of our eyes to enjoy it. He could have created things without pleasant sounds, or humanity without the auditory nerves to process the blessing. Creation could have been formed without texture and fragrance, food without flavor, and ourselves without the means to experience the enjoyment thereof. The Lord could have left the art out of all things, as it were, leaving His creatures with a bland and stoic existence of mere survival.
Or could He? Not a chance! No, God must always act in accordance with His character, nature, and way. He must be who He is as He does what He does (Psalm 119:68). Thus, the Great Engineer who is no less the Great Artist filled His universe with wonders of sight, sound, texture, fragrance, and taste. He made His creatures - especially the human race created in His image - to experience our existence with an awed and happy awareness that "God… giveth us richly all things to enjoy" (I Timothy 6:17).
Of course, sin has grave damaged our capacity to freely and rightly enjoy our Lord's artistry. We are tempted to "worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator" (Romans 1:25). The things He made so reflect His wondrous mind and beautiful heart that our deceived hearts and minds may fail to enjoy the Maker as we enjoy the things He made. I thought of this while walking this morning as a cool pre-autumn breeze seemed to wash away the heat and humidity of summer. "Is this only a change of weather?" I thought to myself. "Or is the fact that we can experience such simple pleasantness an opportunity to perceive the enjoyment as a gift of God, along with an opportunity to consciously commune with Him in praise and thanksgiving?" We know the answer. However, we sometimes forget to worship the gracious Creator, even as we enjoy the grace of His creation.
Our Lord could not have made a drab, artless creation without being untrue to Himself. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ cannot fail to enjoy His wonders without being untrue to Him or ourselves. This constitutes a primary reason He made us with the capacity for praise and thanksgiving. Thereby, we consciously acknowledge with joy and gratitude the true Beauty of all beautiful things. An Engineer of infinitely profound knowledge, understanding, and wisdom made a universe of indescribably complex function. He did so, however, with the heart of an Artist who joyously splashed beauty upon His canvas of creation. Wondrously, He made us with the capacity to thereby enjoy the beauty of His heart. May this glorious One grant grace that we know the blessedness of cool breezes not merely as weather, but as opportunity to be moved by the wind of the Spirit to draw near to the throne of grace with joyous appreciation and adoration.
"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."
(Psalm 27:4)
"And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us."
(Psalm 90:17)
Weekly Memory Verse
"The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way."
(Psalm 25:9)
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