And... It Was Good!

 

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:24-25 ESV).

 

As I anticipated Mary and I are indeed in the Smokies as I am writing this devotional along the theme of God’s beauty. As you can see from the picture I have attached, God knows how to create beauty. This view was captured in Cades Cove looking over a pasture toward some of the mountains surrounding the Cove. It was late afternoon and the sun was behind me. There was a brief shower earlier and the grass was still a bit wet. The clouds remained, though they only provided an accent to the mountains. The purple ironweed was still blooming, though many of the other wildflowers have already shed their flowers in the reseeding ritual of spring and summer. It was surprisingly uncrowded. We heard a few birds and felt a slight breeze as the incredible feeling of peace washed over us.

 

When the first chapter of Genesis speaks of God creating the heavens and the earth, it does so by describing a pattern of six days. And several times in the process we read, “God saw that it was good.” God took joy and satisfaction in the things he created. God saw that the world was good and beautiful. In fact, God made the world to be beautiful: the light, the sky, the land, the sun, the fish, the animals. God called all these things “good.” And when God created humans, God created us in his own image. Men and women are all created in the image of God, beautiful like their creator.

 

If you are ever tempted to doubt your own worth as a person, remember that the creator of the universe made you in his own image. Remember that God looks on his beautiful creation, including you, and calls you “good” and beautiful. That cannot be in doubt! What a great day to see the hand of God in His creation!