In the beginning, God created…
When I was younger, I used to paint all the time. As a toddler, it was mostly messy experimentation, swirling colours together until everything turned into a sludgy brown. Then I’d fold the paper in half, pressing it together to create a mirrored splodge. It wasn’t always beautiful, but it was always joyful. I was creating.
As I grew older, I discovered watercolour landscapes. I’d spend hours carefully blending colours, trying to match just the right shade for the sky or the shadows on a hillside. I’d get lost in the details, focused on every brushstroke, every layer.
Looking back, whether I was making muddy messes or intricate scenes, I was always doing the same thing: creating. Using imagination, skill, and love to bring something into existence. Whether the final result was frame-worthy or not is a different question!
It’s interesting to me that the very first words of the Bible are: “In the beginning, God created…” Before anything else, before laws, miracles, commandments: God created. He used imagination, power, and love to bring everything into being.
From vast galaxies and mountain ranges to delicate flowers and the intricate design of the human eye, God is the ultimate artist. Like any master craftsman, He paid attention to every detail. Whether you believe He made the world in seven days or over thousands of years, the care and creativity behind it all are unmistakable.
That’s one of the reasons I love nature so much, it feels like all of it is worshiping God. The veins of a leaf, each uniquely patterned. The Fibonacci sequence woven into flowers and seashells. The precise balance of Earth’s climate, perfectly tuned to support life. These aren’t accidents. They are signs of a Creator who delights in beauty and they all point to God’s glory.
Psalm 19:1 captures it perfectly: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Nature points us back to the Artist.
But even more than that, just as I once found joy in creating messy splodges as a child, God delights in shaping each of us. He forms us with care, giving us the gifts and abilities we’ll need for the journey ahead. He guides us, speaks to us, and walks with us through the life He’s uniquely designed for each one of us.
We are His living masterpiece. Lovingly made, intentionally designed. And unlike my childhood paintings, we are not clumsy or incomplete. We are beautiful. We are purposeful. We are His.
The all-powerful, all-knowing Creator doesn’t make mistakes. And every time I step into nature or pick up a paintbrush, I’m reminded of that truth: that we are made by the greatest Artist and, in turn, should point to His glory.
Psalm 148
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for at his command they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
he issued a decree that will never pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and women,
old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
And he has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his faithful servants,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the Lord.
