“I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full
well.”
Do you? Are you fully convinced about the ever-present, lavish abundance of God’s work in your life? When was the last time your breath was taken away by the incredible design and artistry of the Almighty?
While in Alaska this summer, my family walked into the
performing arts center in Anchorage to watch a short film on the Northern
Lights. I had wanted to see them live, but was told that the summer was the
worst time of the year to catch them. So settling into a theater to watch them
on screen was a bit underwhelming.
Until I saw them in action.
Hues of green, red, blue, and yellow lit up the sky like ballerinas twirling and leaping across the global stage. Waves of colors flickered and splashed effortlessly around the dark horizon, provoking incredible displays of momentary beauty. The blackness of space provided the perfect canopy for God to paint the sky with a majestic spectacle of his glorious handicraft.
I sat in my seat, mesmerized by what I saw. One cannot watch this phenomenon unmoved. Then a little spark began welling up inside me, an urge that moved me deeply enough that I started to cry. I wanted to worship God right then and there; jump up and down, clap and cheer, hold my hands up in humbled awe at what I saw on film.
We and the world we inhabit truly are a masterful achievement. That might sound arrogant at first, but if you look at it through the lens of recognizing the scope and shape of who we are and how we are made, one cannot but acknowledge that a truly gifted and expert Craftsman designed all this.
I see this happening in two ways:
We are an incredible product. Seriously, we are a complex creation. Regardless of how marred we are by the presence and effects of sin, we retain a Dynamite Design that continues to preside to this day even in the face of sin, death, and darkness. It's like a tiny flickering candle in a dark winter's night.
We undergo and incredible process. When we give our lives to Christ, we begin a remarkable process whereby God radically changes us from the inside out – all the while we are living in the land of half-way-there, not-quite-what-I-had-in-mind, already-but-not-yet. And we’re surrounded by half-finished projects (or half-baked, if you will) that God is not finished with yet either.
This fall, as we begin our march of togetherness in our growth groups, do not lose sight of the amazing reality that is at work among us, in front of our very own eyes. It’s a work often times hidden, but nonetheless real and ongoing in the hearts and lives of your group members.
May you see, with your own hearts and eyes, the truly majestic dance of light the Father is showcasing for his Glory and our salvation in the lives of your group members.
Do you? Are you fully convinced about the ever-present, lavish abundance of God’s work in your life? When was the last time your breath was taken away by the incredible design and artistry of the Almighty?
While in Alaska this summer, my family walked into the
performing arts center in Anchorage to watch a short film on the Northern
Lights. I had wanted to see them live, but was told that the summer was the
worst time of the year to catch them. So settling into a theater to watch them
on screen was a bit underwhelming.Until I saw them in action.
Hues of green, red, blue, and yellow lit up the sky like ballerinas twirling and leaping across the global stage. Waves of colors flickered and splashed effortlessly around the dark horizon, provoking incredible displays of momentary beauty. The blackness of space provided the perfect canopy for God to paint the sky with a majestic spectacle of his glorious handicraft.
I sat in my seat, mesmerized by what I saw. One cannot watch this phenomenon unmoved. Then a little spark began welling up inside me, an urge that moved me deeply enough that I started to cry. I wanted to worship God right then and there; jump up and down, clap and cheer, hold my hands up in humbled awe at what I saw on film.
We and the world we inhabit truly are a masterful achievement. That might sound arrogant at first, but if you look at it through the lens of recognizing the scope and shape of who we are and how we are made, one cannot but acknowledge that a truly gifted and expert Craftsman designed all this.
I see this happening in two ways:
We are an incredible product. Seriously, we are a complex creation. Regardless of how marred we are by the presence and effects of sin, we retain a Dynamite Design that continues to preside to this day even in the face of sin, death, and darkness. It's like a tiny flickering candle in a dark winter's night.
We undergo and incredible process. When we give our lives to Christ, we begin a remarkable process whereby God radically changes us from the inside out – all the while we are living in the land of half-way-there, not-quite-what-I-had-in-mind, already-but-not-yet. And we’re surrounded by half-finished projects (or half-baked, if you will) that God is not finished with yet either.
This fall, as we begin our march of togetherness in our growth groups, do not lose sight of the amazing reality that is at work among us, in front of our very own eyes. It’s a work often times hidden, but nonetheless real and ongoing in the hearts and lives of your group members.
May you see, with your own hearts and eyes, the truly majestic dance of light the Father is showcasing for his Glory and our salvation in the lives of your group members.
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