As I’ve travelled, I’ve seen many of God’s picturesque creation landscapes, breathtaking architectural design of ornate churches, even windmills—beautiful in their own rite— mechanically-designed to accomplish their given purpose in their setting.
The same is true for God’s purposes in everything He has designed, particularly God’s design for men and women to be His image-bearers. Men and women are created equal in value, each precious in God’s sight, and yet distinct in purpose. Space won’t permit a longer explanation here but suffice it to say that we’ve all (since Adam and Eve) contributed the rapid deterioration of all that God created and determined to be very good.
What role do you assign yourself when considering God’s design? Are you one who stands in awe, amazed by God’s creative wisdom and power? Do you find yourself as one in a gallery, moving among other individuals assessing the work, and suggesting potential improvements for the next work of art, only to leave and not give too much thought to it?
Or have you assigned yourself to be a judge—one who places themselves over the designer with authority to determine what is good or bad, beautiful, or ugly, purposeful or useless, valued or devalued. In this case, however, we’re talking about God, “The Ultimate Designer.” Do you give God a score?
Psalm 19 tells us that all of God’s perfect creation speaks to His perfect glory. Psalm 111 tells us that God’s works are great and “studied by all who delight in them.” God’s works, here, are historical in nature and can refer to God’s creative design, His purposes in working through His people to bring victory or topple nations. God is perfect in every way and should be fully delighted in, admired, and worshiped. Finally, Genesis 1:31 tells us of God’s moral judgment that everything created is very good, especially mankind, created distinctly in God’s image to reflect His beauty and glory!
We are God’s creatures, set below God because we are created. The Lord says through Isaiah (ch. 45), Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?
Friends, this is not a thing to resist. There is peace in acknowledging that we are not God, and we are not created and placed here to assess God’s creative purposes as judge, as one who gives God a score. And yet that is exactly what many of us do. Back to the question at hand: have you set yourself as judge over God, assigning yourself moral authority to make judgments, build up or tear down and re-create in the way you deem to be right? Do you walk among the crowd, assessing, stating your opinions and moving out without give too much other through (“Each to his own,” or “Whatever makes you happy,” you may say.) Or are you an observer, praising God for his wisdom in creation design? Each of us, friends, are created to be the worshipers—finding joy in God’s good design.
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