Appreciate Creation; Worship Its Creator

At the age of 24, New Zealander Ian McCormack set off on an adventure looking for the perfect wave. It would take him to breathtakingly scenic places like Bali, South Africa, and Mauritius. In part, what inspired his trip was his love for nature, the nature he’d been steeped in as a surfer.

Surfers know the joy of nature: sliding across moving walls of water, early morning sunrises from the back-line, front row seats on sea-life, the roar of a barrel. He’d drank from the fountain of creation, and he wanted more.

Read Genesis 1:1-10.

Today’s passage details the first 3 days of creation. Let’s hone in on verse 1. The phrase “in the beginning”, tells us that God existed before the beginning. It separates God from everything else – He is the Uncreated One. We may share His creative qualities, but He alone can create out of nothing. The phrase the heavens and the earth is the Bible’s way of saying ‘absolutely everything’ – from the tiniest water molecule in the Pacific, to the greatest galaxy in the universe. It all comes from God. Nature is rightly called ‘creation’.

We also learn about God. He is all-powerful, supremely brilliant, infinitely creative. Being its creator, He is more magnificent than his awesome creation. Because God created the universe He is not dependent on it for His own existence. The universe and all within it needs Him to exist, but he doesn’t need it. Also, we see that God is in control. The one who made it all is in control of it all. God is large and in charge.

Most fascinatingly, we see that God loves and enjoys His creation. Looking upon the seas He’d just created (v10) out of the waters He’d once hovered over by His Spirit (v2) we’re told, ‘God saw that it was good’. We too should stand in awe of creation, but don’t stop there. Let’s be in awe of its Creator. (To fail to do this, as we will see tomorrow, is life’s most critical error.)

When last did you let some part of creation point your thoughts to the Creator? The next time you’re awe-struck by creation, turn your wonder into a moment of worship.