“The Maker”
I like lots of different types of music but more often than not I listen to contemporary Christian music when I’m driving in my car. Recently I’ve been hearing a song by Chris August called The Maker playing on the station I listen to. This song focuses on God as Creator. Unfortunately, you don’t hear a lot of songs that emphasize this aspect of God these days. I recently wrote on this blog site how important I believe it is to hold on to the concept of God as “Maker of heaven and earth.” The notion of God as Creator is vital to our faith for many reasons so needless to say I was pleased to hear a song playing that emphasizes this.
The song begins with the words, “I see You in the sunrise, I see You in the rain. I see You in the laughter, I feel You through the pain.” Then there is this affirmation, “Everything that You have made is beautiful. Oh, my God, I can’t believe my eyes, but in all of this to think that You would think of me makes my heart come alive.” The second verse says, “I see You, You are creation, I see the grandness of Your majesty. The universe is singing all Your glory; I can’t believe You live inside of me.” This is followed by the same affirmation above noting that everything God has made is beautiful. In this song we are reminded that we can, in fact, see God in the Creation. For those with eyes to see God can be found anywhere—in sunrises, rain, laughter and pain. The song also reminds us that there is a close connection between God and Creation. “You are creation,” August sings, and he points out that the grandness of God’s majesty can be seen and heard in Creation. Finally, the song reminds us of the need to practice humility as we encounter God’s majesty in the world around us. We know from the Scriptures that this God who created all that is knows and loves each and every one of us very much. Realizing this truly should make our heart come alive.
There is a chorus to this song that says: “Your love is like a mighty fire deep inside my bones; I feel like I could climb a thousand mountains all at once. And I never have to wonder if somebody cares for me; I love the Maker and the Maker loves me.” At this point in my life I am too old and fat to likely ever feel that I could climb one mountain, much less a thousand all at once. Still, I love the way the chorus ends. As we consider what the Scriptures tell us and what Creation reveals to us we never do have to wonder if somebody cares for us. Both of God’s Books make it clear that the Maker loves us and this love both beckons and enables us to love the Maker in return.
In the final verse to Chris August’s song he sings, “More than just some words upon a page, You’ve shown me in a million ways, but there is one that stands above them all–hands of creation on a cross.” It seems rare to find people making the connection between Creation and the Cross so I applaud August for doing so here. Long ago someone else made that connection, the apostle Paul. In the first chapter of the Book of Colossians he speaks of Christ as being the “firstborn over all creation.” (v. 15) He then adds, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all thing were created by him and for him.” (v. 16) A few verses later Paul draws the connection by adding “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (vs. 19-20)
Here is one of the most incomprehensible and wonderful truths there is, the Maker of heaven and earth long ago entered Creation and went to a cross where he spread his arms open wide to show us just how much God loves us. Yes, the Maker loves us indeed! I know of only one appropriate response—to love the Maker back with everything that we’ve got.
–Chuck