It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. (Pro 25:2)
God has glorified himself by creating a vast and intricate universe, one which contains many mysteries for us to uncover. Godly rulers glorify themselves by always seeking truth, knowledge and wisdom. From these flow justice, which God charges every ruler to uphold.
There is also a deeper principle here that extends beyond kings and rulers. God has glorified himself not only by creating this mysterious universe, but also by creating a unique species to inhabit it – man. He has given us the ability to plumb these mysteries by observation, experimentation and contemplation. Whenever we exercise this God-given ability we bring glory to God. As Christians, we can be proud to pursue any secular vocation, as long as we give all the glory to God. All of us - not just scientists, doctors and lawyers but also waiters, clerks and janitors - all of us bring glory to God when we exercise our gifts in humility and righteousness. We use our God-given ability to understand the task at hand and then apply our strength of mind and hand to accomplish it. Lord, help me to remember every day as I work at home and on the job to give you all the glory for the unique gifts you have given me. Amen.
Showing posts with label creation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creation. Show all posts
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Fill the Earth
He who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited. (Is 45:18)
As marvelous as the earth is in its own right, God did not create it just so he could admire it. He created it to be inhabited. He placed Adam and Eve in it and told them to subdue it and fill it (Gen 1:28). Today there are those who see man as a cancer on the earth. They imagine it would be a better, more beautiful place without us. But God says the earth would be empty if we were not in it.
As marvelous as the earth is in its own right, God did not create it just so he could admire it. He created it to be inhabited. He placed Adam and Eve in it and told them to subdue it and fill it (Gen 1:28). Today there are those who see man as a cancer on the earth. They imagine it would be a better, more beautiful place without us. But God says the earth would be empty if we were not in it.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Word of Mouth
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. (Ps 33:6)
Psalm 33 is a great hymn of praise to the Lord. In it the psalmist directs us to consider how great and powerful God is. This verse reminds us that God created the heavens by simply speaking it into existence. He did not need a creation machine to form the heavens and the earth. He spoke, and they came to be (v8). How marvelous and mighty he is!
Psalm 33 is a great hymn of praise to the Lord. In it the psalmist directs us to consider how great and powerful God is. This verse reminds us that God created the heavens by simply speaking it into existence. He did not need a creation machine to form the heavens and the earth. He spoke, and they came to be (v8). How marvelous and mighty he is!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Wonders of Creation
Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
(Job 38:12-13)
In chapters 38 and 39 of Job, the Lord describes the wonders of his creation. By one rhetorical question after another he reminds Job that it was he, and not Job, who created it in all its splendor. Creation is vast beyond measure, intricate beyond our understanding, and powerful beyond our control. I think chapters 38 and 39 are some of the most beautiful poetry in the Bible. And I stand in awe of creation not just because of its vastness, intricacy and power, but also because of its beauty, which is so richly conveyed here.
It is interesting as well to read this passage 3000 years after it was written. Our modern knowledge of nature is many times greater than the ancients – when God asks Job his rhetorical questions, some of them we can now say yes to:
Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
(Job 39:1)
To which anyone who watches National Geographic TV specials could probably say yes. But the larger point is still intact and powerful. God knows when every mountain goat gives birth, and watches every fawn being born. In fact, as we learn more about creation we appreciate even better than the author of Job how vast, intricate, powerful and beautiful the universe is. But modern man no longer looks beyond creation to see the power and majesty of the Creator. They call it Nature now, with a capital N, and worship it instead of God. They have mastered the trick of looking at the most beautiful and well designed system imaginable and ascribing its origin to pure chance. Lord, open the eyes of the blind. Let them see you in your creation. Let science once again be practiced for your glory. Praise you, for you are the Creator and Lord of All! Amen.
or shown the dawn its place,
that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
(Job 38:12-13)
In chapters 38 and 39 of Job, the Lord describes the wonders of his creation. By one rhetorical question after another he reminds Job that it was he, and not Job, who created it in all its splendor. Creation is vast beyond measure, intricate beyond our understanding, and powerful beyond our control. I think chapters 38 and 39 are some of the most beautiful poetry in the Bible. And I stand in awe of creation not just because of its vastness, intricacy and power, but also because of its beauty, which is so richly conveyed here.
It is interesting as well to read this passage 3000 years after it was written. Our modern knowledge of nature is many times greater than the ancients – when God asks Job his rhetorical questions, some of them we can now say yes to:
Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
(Job 39:1)
To which anyone who watches National Geographic TV specials could probably say yes. But the larger point is still intact and powerful. God knows when every mountain goat gives birth, and watches every fawn being born. In fact, as we learn more about creation we appreciate even better than the author of Job how vast, intricate, powerful and beautiful the universe is. But modern man no longer looks beyond creation to see the power and majesty of the Creator. They call it Nature now, with a capital N, and worship it instead of God. They have mastered the trick of looking at the most beautiful and well designed system imaginable and ascribing its origin to pure chance. Lord, open the eyes of the blind. Let them see you in your creation. Let science once again be practiced for your glory. Praise you, for you are the Creator and Lord of All! Amen.
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