In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.(NIV)
“In the beginning God created… These are the first words in the first book of the Bible and what follows is the story of creation. In just six days, God made everything and “it was good.” It was more than good, it was perfect; it was beautiful.
How often do we take the time to really appreciate the world around us? Do we take it all for granted? If we answer those two questions honestly, the answer to the first question is probably not enough; the answer to the second, too often.
God provided us with five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. How awesome that we can explore our world in so many different ways. How rich our experience can be when we view the world around us. There is so much beauty to the world—too much to even mention.. Yet, each of us has favorite places triggered by our senses. Some of mine: sight—pristine snow with a touch of frost on the tree limbs, a blooming flower garden in mid-summer; a loved one’s smile; hearing—laughter, Christmas music; a train whistle; smell— a baby right after a bath, a newly mowed hay field, cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven; taste—a strawberry just picked from the patch, the first sweet corn of the season, homemade ice cream covered in chocolate sauce; touch—a child’s hand in mine, a warm fleece blanket, mud between my toes on a hot summer day. Often my favorites bring back memories of special people, special times, and special places. What would be on your list of favorites? Take a little time to make your list and thank God for the blessings that He has given you through the world that He created for you.
Luther said, “God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in flowers, and clouds and stars.” We need to take the time and appreciate this beautiful world around us—to see in everything God’s love for us.
-Shirley Buuck
Dear Lord, THANK YOU. You have created all that we need. It is an amazing, awesome gift that you have given us. Let us learn to be good stewards of what You have given us so that future generations may also enjoy all of Your marvelous gifts. Amen.
Sources:
Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS used by permission for private and congregational use
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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