In The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God's Delight in Being God, John Piper contemplates why a God, who is complete and happy in Himself, would create all these things, seen and unseen.
From Psalm 104 (and other Scripture passages), Piper points to five reasons for creation.
1. Creation is an expression of God's glory (Ps 104:31). The world around us gives us a glimpse of the workmanship of our Creator. If what is produced is just a thought in the mind of God, how great must be our God. This flower is just a glimpse at the magnificence of the One who designed it.
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. (Ps 19:1-2)
2. Creation praises God. The skipping fawn, the rain falling in a barren desert all praise their Creator by being exactly what He designed them to be and doing what He planned for them to do. Seen or unseen.
3. Creation reveals God's incomparable wisdom. Piper shares:
Did you know that there are ten thousand known species of diatoms? In a teaspoon of ordinary lake water there may be a million of these tiny invisible plants. And what are they doing while entertaining God with their microscopic beauty?...What are they doing? They are making tons and tons of oxygen so that the animals in the water can breathe! The world is full of the wisdom of God.
4. Creation reveals His incomparable power. The stars, galaxies, and universes beyond our own are enough of a glimpse at the power of One great enough to create and sustain such brilliant blazes of fire and space.
5. Creation points beyond itself to God. All the details, all the beauty, all the intricate designs and purposes point to an Artist. How vastly complex our world is! If so, how much more incomprehensible must be the mind of Him who spoke it into existence!
What does this mean for us?
What about those moments of laughter, those dark nights of tears, those kind acts unnoticed? You have a more attentive audience than all of creation!
See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:28b-33)Today, finding our purpose or destiny is all the buzz. We have forgotten the simple farmer of the past who glorified God while plowing his fields or the mother whose tender lullabies and love for her family, flowing from her love for God, brought pleasure to Him.
We want a big show, big applause, big congregations, big publicity. Maybe God wants you to be small. Maybe God wants me to have an obscure life. Maybe what pleases Him best is getting us quietly away from success in order that we may delight in His presence.
God loves us so much that He asks us today to be faithful in the small things.
God loves us so much that He keeps us from that which would take our hearts away from Him, the only Satisfier of all our longings.
What an amazing Father!
Kate: We all struggle through life wondering if we are doing the right thing, if we are in the right place, or if we are truly glorifying God in our daily pursuits. Maybe that's what John the Baptist was trying to discover when he said: "He must increase and I must decrease." Those little flowers hanging onto the edge of the cliff or even the little sparrow that falls to the ground are all precious and useful in His eyes. I think it is a matter of focus for me, at least. I forget I need to keep "looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith" and not at people or their opinions of success. The ultimate prize is this: "Well done, good and faithful servant." Keep up the race! You are doing well! Thanks you for this nice article and its reminder. I love you.
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