Grace in Creation
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God.” Hebrews 12:15
Last night I started reading Max Lucado’s newest book, Grace. On the very first page Lucado writes: “Grace is God’s best idea. His decision to ravage a people by love, to rescue passionately, and to restore justly—what rivals it? Of all his wondrous works, grace, in my estimation, is the magnum opus. Friendship is next. Friends become couriers of grace, conduits of heaven’s grace.” I concur with what Max says; grace truly is “God’s best idea.” God’s grace is amazing! I would also have to agree that friendship is another one of God’s best ideas. I cannot imagine living my life without the friends God has blessed me with.
As I read the first few chapters of the book last evening I found myself thinking about how God’s grace is revealed in Creation. In fact, I pondered how the creation of the world was an act of grace. Grace is often defined as “God’s unmerited favor” and surely we can see God’s favor written all over Creation. The fact that we did not merit or deserve what God has provided goes without saying.
I believe that beauty itself is an act of divine grace. Everything that God created has a purpose; it is there for a reason. But why did God throw in so much beauty into the mix? Grace. As a God of grace and love God chose to make many things not just useful but beautiful. While the various aspects of nature fulfill their purpose we get to find pleasure and enjoyment from them. Trees and flowers are good examples. So are clouds and rivers and birds. You could go on and on. Everywhere we look we find God’s grace made manifest.
The air we breathe is a gift of God. The sun that gives us light and warmth is a gift of God. The rain that falls to the earth is a gift of God. The moon and stars that brighten the night are a gift from God. Every plant (even those some call “weeds”) and every animal (large or small) is a gift from God. God did not have to create any of these. So why did He? Grace.
Yes, I know that the clearest revelation of God’s love and grace is found in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, but we will miss so many examples of God’s amazing grace if we fail to see and recognize that same grace revealed in the world His Son created. Feeling the need for a little more grace today? Just look around you.
–Chuck
(Having been inspired by my friend Stan Burman’s pictures from Colorado this past week I decided to illustrate today’s blog with some images I took with him in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado a few years ago. I took the top image at Kebler Pass and the bottom two at Owl Creek Pass.)