The Beauty of God Pt. 1: Creation

I was recently given the task in one of my seminary courses to meditate on and write a brief paper about one of the many attributes of God.  As I was studying His attributes, the attribute of beauty stood out to me, so I chose that one to write on.  I wrote of the beauty of God displayed in three areas:  creation, His word, and the New Heavens and New Earth (heaven).  I figured I would publish each one of these areas as three different blog posts so that you could meditate along with me about the beauty of our great God.  So here is part 1:

God is beautiful.  That is such a simple and concise statement, but it is true and powerful.  God is the essence of beauty.  All other manifestations of beauty find the origin of their beauty in Him.  The Tennessee iris that blooms in May bears the marks of the beauty of its Creator.  The rugged Rocky Mountains that stretch out across the landscape of Colorado display the beautiful majesty of the God who formed them with His hand.  The oceans declare the mysterious beauty of the awe-inspiring God who spoke them into existence.  The beauty of God is all around us, it is praised in His word, and it will endure forever.  

God can be described as beautiful because he contains all good qualities to the fullest extent.  Psalm 19:1 states “the heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands”.  Creation exalts the beauty and glory of the One who made it.  In the beginning, God spoke, and the universe we know came into being out of nothing.  And it has not stopped bearing witness to His beauty ever since.  I love being outside.  I enjoy hiking, jogging, and, most of the time, yard work.  There is nothing like having your breath taken away while admiring creation from the top of a mountain.  There is also nothing more humbling that standing on the shore of the ocean and feeling the power of the waves crash on your feet knowing that the scene before you, water and sky as far as the eye can see, barely scratches the surface of the immense beauty of the sea.  The simple things of creation are also beautiful.  Jesus says in Luke 12:27, “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these”.

            The beauty of creation is mind-boggling.  Psalm 104 says that God established the earth, and he set limits to everything.  All of creation fulfills its purpose.  Springs flow forth in the valleys providing water for cattle.   Trees grow and provide a place of rest for the birds.  Grass springs forth so that cattle may graze.  God causes the earth to produce fruit and vegetables so that man will be filled.  The order of creation is a beautiful thing, and God created that order.  Psalm 104:24 says “O Lord, how many are your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions.” 

            As I meditated on what God’s word says about the beauty of creation, I was floored by a certain realization.  If creation, the enormity of which I can’t comprehend, is this breath-takingly beautiful, how much more so is the One who spoke it all into being?  If being in the presence of nature gives me peace, how much more peaceful is the beautiful presence of God.  If seeing an eagle in flight captivates me, how much more should I be captivated by the most beautiful One in the universe?  If I am overwhelmed by the beauty of my bride, how much more should I be overwhelmed by the beauty of the Lord?  The beauty of creation is great but greater still is the beauty of the God who made it all.

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*Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture was taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, by The Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.