TODAY IS…

a superb day to appreciate the gift of creation.

“So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed.”  Genesis 2:1 NLT

The world has known many extraordinarily talented sculptors and painters, individuals who possess an eye for beauty and detail that borders on the incomprehensible to those of us who have trouble drawing a stick figure or sculpting anything beyond a snowman.

Michelangelo was phenomenally talented as both a sculptor and a painter. His larger-than-life sized sculpture of “David” is known the world over as a classic work of grace, beauty and power. The Biblical scenes he painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel are unsurpassed in their intricate depth and detail.

Of course, the wondrous talent of Michelangelo and the many talented sculptors and painters who came before and after Michelangelo’s time, came from God who was the creator of the first, most intricately detailed work of art ever known.

Gazing up at Mt. Rushmore or at the pyramids of Egypt, man’s ability to create things of beauty on a grand scale is realized. But one need only to gaze down into the Grand Canyon or look up at the dizzying heights of Mt. Everest to realize who the real master is.

The talented hand of God is visible everywhere we look.

But the physical surface of the earth is just the “canvas” itself. Just think about the details that God considered when He “painted” life onto it.

Consider the intricate beauty of an orchid or a rose; the majesty of a giant Sequoia towering above the earth; the vibrant life found in a coral reef below the surface of the ocean. Think of all the different varieties of fish, animals and birds that share space on this “canvas” in the trees, on the ground and in its oceans, lakes and rivers.

For example, the Honeyguide Bird resides in Africa. This amazing bird has a unique way of “communicating” with humans by making a sound similar to pebbles being shaken in a box. Using this sound to get the attention of humans it has seen, it will lead them to a beehive. It is then the responsibility of the humans to smoke out the bees and remove the honey, leaving the beeswax and larvae to the incredible creature that provided the directions to the sweet bounty.

Who else but God could “paint” such details?

Everywhere we look, there is evidence of God’s masterful “brush strokes” and the precise strikes of His “chisel”. His attention to detail abounds and, when we take the time to stop and appreciate it, the work of art that surrounds us will overwhelm us in its complexity, beauty and powerful glory.

To both appreciate this incredible place of beauty and to take care of it as well, God created man. Each human being is unique and a thing of beauty, indeed a masterpiece unto itself.

“By the seventh day, God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day, He rested from all His work.” (Genesis 2:2 NIV).

He deserved it and He must have been tired. We should show our appreciation daily by thanking Him and taking time to look around and marvel at the detail in this, our temporary ‘home’.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson