DELIGHTING IN BEAUTY

 DECEMBER 2, 2022

Gen. 1:1 & 28

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...God saw all that he made, and it was very good.”

The opening chapters of the Bible make some very big claims. They declare that God brought the entire universe into being by his word. That is right just through saying "let there be ... and there was." Genesis 1 and 2 also say that God was extremely pleased with what he made, infusing beauty and purpose into creation and then standing back to enjoy it saying "IT IS VERY GOOD." 

Jenny Toews shared the following personal story, she writes

“I remember one sunny morning when I was travelling along a beautiful route that wound its way between the rocky coastline and a towering mountain range. Traffic came to a complete stop along a bend and people stood outside their cars peering over the cliffs. My immediate thought was a terrible accident had just occurred. I, too, got out to look, but there was no accident. The morning rush hour was brought to a standstill by a large pod of dolphins diving in and out of the water and skipping along the surface. No one said a word, nor did getting to work on time seem to matter either. Everyone just stood there taking in this breathtaking sight. It was a special moment of strangers standing back to delight in beauty and respond to something greater than themselves.”

Whether we acknowledge God’s hand in creation or not, we are all awestruck by the beauty of the world around us. Splendor tells us something about the heart of the Creator of beautiful things. Being awestruck suggests that wonder is a response of worship as we ponder the glory of our good world. Our Genesis reading today points to the source. "In the beginning God ...."

When was the last time you were awestruck by beauty?

Today pause and offer a prayer of thanks to God for all that is beautiful in our world. Perhaps as you go about your day, take notice of God's handiwork around you and offer a simple prayer of praise like "Thank You God for __________."