Everything Seasoned with Love

Whenever we experience new discoveries in God's creation, our immediate reaction is usually awe, admiration and amazement, sometimes followed by reverence as we consider what He is capable of creating...out of nothing. You've probably experienced these emotions as you've gazed upon the majestic Mount Rainier in its various displays. Or perhaps you've viewed the celestial skies through a telescope or seen photographs that were taken by professional astronomers. If you haven't already done so, do a web search of NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day. You will be amazed at what God has created, things that we cannot see with the naked eye from earth. Did it ever occur to you that in displaying His magnificent glory through His creation, He is also demonstrating His love for us? Throughout Scripture, we read how we need to do everything in love. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 what that should look like. Without love, he says, he is nothing, all the good he can do means nothing without love. Verse 7 tells us that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. 

God has created this earth, although it is our temporary abode for us to enjoy. We just need to slow down and take notice. I grew up in a town that was right on the ocean and our house was a quarter mile from the beach. I spent a lot of time at the beach and in the ocean. I would go to a lot of my favorite spots depending on what I wanted to do, whether it was surfing, diving, fishing, snorkeling or just sitting on the sand and gazing out at the water, listening to the waves crashing on the shore, the birds, the wind, and just absorbing all that God was providing for me, and it didn't cost me anything! It was and still is one of my favorite things to do. Throughout my teen years, it never occurred to me that God did all of this for me to enjoy. I just knew that it was good and didn't give him thanks or credit for it. 

We all have our favorite things to do. It could be hiking the various trails and mountains, fishing along the serene rivers and lakes, bird watching or studying other amazing creatures that God put in our environment. Whatever it may be, consider that God created all of this for us to enjoy and he did it through and as part of demonstrating His love for us.

God did all of this as a testimony of His Sovereignty. Just as we've been studying in the book of Exodus. His ultimate purpose was so that everyone, every human being ever to walk the face of the earth would KNOW that he is LORD. The unbeliever gets to experience this same beauty for the sake of being drawn to Him for salvation. They do not get a black and white vision and receive color eyesight only after being saved. God gives everyone a full measure of His grace. How we respond is what makes all the difference! As we go on living out our lives, enjoying the things that we do, the hobbies that we've experienced, and enjoying the beauty and awesomeness of God's creation, know and recognize that this, too, was created out of love for you and me. 

O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. Psalm 104:24-25

Let heaven celebrate! Let the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it roar! Let the countryside and everything in it celebrate! Then all the trees of the forest too will shout out joyfully - Psalm 96:11-12 CEB

Pastor Bryan