6 Days Relishing God’s GloryBeispiel

God’s Glory in Creation

God created the world as a place where he would be known, served, praised, and worshiped—a place where his glory would be both manifest and enjoyed. In this respect, God created the world as a cosmic temple. What God set out to accomplish at the beginning is what he will bring to pass at the end of all things.

The cosmos is a stunning and fabulous temple, brimming with God’s wisdom and creativity. In a sacred garden spot in his cosmic temple, God placed an image of himself. This image was made not of wood or stone or gold or silver but of flesh and blood. Human beings, like the cosmic temple of the universe, radiate God’s glory.

The human body is an engineering masterpiece; childbirth is a miraculous mystery; and the mercy and justice that humans can display as they relate to one another is simultaneously light and heavy, acute and broad, high and deep, reflecting the very glory of the One whose image they bear.

The image of the real God is not like the idolatrous man-made images that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell but is a living being capable of rational thought, relational engagement, and creative development. God endowed his image-bearers with the capacity to use all their powers in the mysterious and elevating worship of the One who made them, sustains them, and created them for himself.

Prayer: Glorious Father, thank you for creation. Thank you that the world showcases your wisdom. Thank you for Jesus who is the firstborn of all creation, the sustainer of all creation, and the ruler of all creation. Thank you for the promise of renewing creation. Please help me treasure your creation today and gratefully partake of it without misusing it.