God’s Masterpiece
We turned off the two-lanes of pavement onto the dirt road. The green sign had informed us that Wood’s Landing, Wyoming was just a short distance away. Light green stands of aspen stood out against the dark green forests filled with assorted pines. The skies were gray with clouds promising rain. It was heavenly, wild country.
Taking in the beauty of a mountain lake, I braked suddenly. Perched in a tree, a bald eagle was attentively watching the surface of the lake’s waters, presumably searching for its next meal. For several minutes we watched the eagle, hoping to see it lift its wings in flight and soar down to the waters and snatch a trout in its talons. I’ve witnessed that scene before and it never ceases to amaze me . . . the grace in flight, the keenness of the eyesight, the power of its talons. All evidence of God’s creative power and design!
I’ve said it often. I love the mountains! Whether exploring new (to me) dirt roads on a mountain drive, hitting a hiking trail, or just sitting back and taking in the scenery, the mountains are my “happy place”! Yet as we travelled on, I was struck by the variety in God’s creation. After our time in northern Colorado, we began our trek west. We travelled past more mountain lakes, the rushing waters and steep cliffs of Glenwood Canyon, the arid deserts and wind-formed sandstone structures of Utah, and the desolate, wide-open valleys of the Nevada range on our way to Northern California. Upon reaching the Nevada-California border, we continued to be awed at the beauty of God’s handiwork!
The clear waters and massive boulders of Lake Tahoe met our eyes as we drove the 70-plus mile trek around the lake. The solitude of the verdant Napa and Sonoma valleys drenched in sunshine. The layers of fog, dark beaches, wave-worn cliffs, and vast array of bird-life. Bugling elk and fleet deer. The sheer majesty of the redwood trees towering upward. The breathtaking views of Yosemite. All of it just a sample of God’s creative, powerful, yet simple words . . . “Let there be!” And I haven’t even mentioned the breathtaking meteor shower we watched this summer. I can only imagine how joyous it must have been for God to put it all together!
I’m pretty sure the psalmist was “wondering” at God’s creation when he wrote Psalm 8. “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” How incredibly big and powerful and mighty our God is.
But wait, there’s more. In fact, I’ve not even mentioned the best part of it all . . . the “crown” of all creation.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet . . . (Psalm 8:3-6)
All of creation, all that we can see and even that which is beyond our view, was made for you, me, and all of mankind. WE are the “crown” of all that God made. You are God’s crowning creation, the apple of His eye, His masterpiece. He made it all for you . . . to have, to enjoy, to care for. As small as we are compared to the infinite glory of the heavens, as insignificant as one may feel amidst the billions of people who populate this planet, as removed from God as we may feel at times, the fact remains – we are God’s masterpiece. You are God’s masterpiece!
Need proof? Why else would God come into our world as one of us – a mere human being – to win you back to Himself? He wants you! He loves you! And He always will!
Living together with you in God’s love,
Pastor Tim
