Several years ago, my wife and I toured the northern part of our home state of Arizona. We beheld, with a deep sense of awe, the breathtaking sights of the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, and the Petrified Forest.
As we walked through the museums and saw the fossils of prehistoric creatures, and read about the development of each, I found myself questioning the dates which man has placed upon them. After all, 225 million years is a long time, and this world as we know it, is barely over 6,000 years old! So, the question is raised concerning dinosaurs, as well as the actual development of the canyon. Such mysteries never seem to boggle my mind, because I am one who has placed a great faith in God as the Creator of all things. In the opening verses of Holy Writ, we are told that God brought all things into being by the power of His spoken word. He simply said, “Let there be,” and there was! The psalmist, declaring the creativity and the power of God said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Psalm 19: 1)
As I stood looking over the Grand Canyon, I questioned whether or not a river could cut a Canyon so wide and so deep. However, there was no question in my mind but that God, at the moment of creation, decided to place the beautiful Canyon where it is so that man might behold its beauty and know that God had been at work. In fact, I heard several people around me remark about the creativity of God.
Though there are so many things in this world for us to see, admire, and behold the glory of God, I must go a step further with the psalmist. He said, “When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, the Thou art mindful of him?” (Psalm 8: 3- 4)
God, our Father, is indeed the Master and ruler of the universe. He watches over it all and sustains it by His mighty power; yet He remembers man. He knows each of us individually. He knows every need, every fear, every frustration, and every heartache; and knowing such invites us to come before His throne of grace with full assurance of acceptance and answers.
Though the earth is incredible, we must not be like some who worship it. The earth is not our mother but has simply been given by God to man that he might subdue and enjoy it as a temporary dwelling place until the day of our redemption when we leave it all behind.
So, the next time you recognize the beauty of a sunset, a flower, or perhaps the song of a bird, pause and thank God for his creativity and for His gifts to man. Be mindful of God as He is mindful of you.
Jerry L. Dunn is pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church, 605 E. Oak Street, Kingman
