On a recent vacation Joanne and I
visited a zoo. There was something about seeing the animals “live” as opposed
to watching a television program about them that brought out to me their glory,
which is actually God’s glory. The shapes, sizes, colors, skin textures, and
unique features were all striking. The variety that exists in the animal
kingdom is truly remarkable, and it’s a reflection on their Maker. I was
especially taken with the giraffes. There is nothing like a giraffe. You could
call them “horse-like”, but that would still miss the mark. And the pattern of
their hide (not sure if that’s the right term) is extraordinary. In a way the
zoo brings out the kid in you, because you see things you’ve never seen before.
And it brings some wonder with it. I think that is one of God’s primary
intentions for His creation – to bring wonder to our minds… to make our hearts
leap with joy when we behold something glorious. And what makes it glorious?
God invests it with a glory. He does it with sunsets, mountaintop vistas,
crashing waves, fascinating creatures, and so many other ways in His universe.
Wonder will lead us to Him.
In the busyness of life it is easy
to miss what is wonder-full around us. We have to be intentional about it if we
truly want to see it. Mainly we have to stop, and explore. When we do, God will
always “show up”. His creativity always leaves a witness to Him and so whenever
we encounter it we find ourselves in an opportunity for worship. Enjoying the
giraffe or the view from the edge of the Grand Canyon or even the intricacies
if a single leaf is part of what it means to worship the Lord. Do we delight in
what He has made? If we do, then we, ultimately, delight in Him. How much of
what we encounter every day could lead us to ask and think about, “What does
this show me about God?... Where is God in this?... How does this reflect His
glory?”? In Creation God is constantly getting our attention and steadily
bringing our thoughts back to Him again and again.
May God get your attention today,
and may you enjoy Him. AMEN!
Job 38:39-41 (NIV) 39 "Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and
satisfy the hunger of the lions 40 when they crouch in
their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? 41 Who provides
food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of
food?
Job 39:1-18 (NIV) 1 "Do you know when the mountain goats
give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? 2 Do
you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? 3
They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains
are ended. 4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the
wilds; they leave and do not return. 5 "Who let
the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? 6 I gave
him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. 7 He
laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver's shout. 8
He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green
thing. 9 "Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will
he stay by your manger at night? 10 Can you hold him to
the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you? 11 Will
you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? 12
Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your
threshing floor? 13 "The wings of the ostrich flap
joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. 14
She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild
animal may trample them. 16 She treats her young
harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, 17
for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of
good sense. 18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to
run, she laughs at horse and rider.
Job 39:26-30 (NIV) 26 "Does the hawk take flight by your
wisdom and spread his wings toward the south? 27 Does
the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? 28 He
dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. 29
From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar.
30 His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain
are, there is he."
Job 40:15-24 (NIV) 15 "Look at the behemoth, which I made
along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. 16 What
strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! 17
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are
close-knit. 18 His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs
like rods of iron. 19 He ranks first among the works of
God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword. 20 The
hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby. 21
Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among the reeds in the
marsh. 22 The lotuses conceal him in their shadow; the
poplars by the stream surround him. 23 When the river
rages, he is not alarmed; he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against
his mouth. 24 Can anyone capture him by the eyes, or
trap him and pierce his nose?
PRAYER: Father, thank you for displaying your glory
all around me. Give me eyes to see and a heart to enjoy it all, and so enjoy
you as well. In Christ’s name, AMEN.”
Jesus
Christ is Lord!
Scott
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