The Beauty of God: A Six-Day Series of Reflections to Invite Wonder サンプル

[IMAGE CONTENT] The Source of All Beauty: God Imagine crystal clear water, the ombre fuzz of a peach, and flamingos in jaw-dropping magenta. Scripture begins with the scene of an artist at work. Of all the ways the divine narrative could commence, it begins with beauty, with stars flinging across a dark canvas and mountains packed into a posture of majesty. I love the extravagance of the Creation Story—so many colors and kinds, all imagined and breathed into being. Through it a consistent refrain—“And God saw that it was good.” Our Maker creates from a motivation beyond strict utility: out of lavish generosity. We see Him delighting in His works and inviting us to do the same. With the call to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) we are welcomed, at a sensory level, into enjoyment of both art and the artist. When God thought up creation, do you imagine he spent extra design time on Iceland? When my family and I visited Iceland, the ashy volcanic rock carpeted with moss and waters draped in glacial blue had me squealing for ten days straight. Waterfalls dotted the highway, each one demanding that we pull over for examination, the magnitude and power visceral. The same feelings of wonder wash over me when I think about the character of God. Beauty runs much deeper than what He creates; it is who He is to the core—a culmination of goodness, justice, and truthfulness. And witnessing this beauty, much like gazing at an overlook, arrests our attention, pulling us beyond ourselves and drawing us into something greater. In these moments of awe and self-forgetfulness, God meets with us, revealing who He is and ushering us to enjoy the gift. An Invitation When we train our eyes to see beauty, we create a space for gratitude and worship. Where have you seen God’s beauty displayed most tangibly? A once-in-a-lifetime vista or the disguised delights of ordinary days—slants of light casting shadows, shards of dark chocolate flecked with salt, the face of a loved one smiling ear to ear? Make a list of these moments of awe and reflect on each one in prayer.