Echoes of Glory: Ramblings on creation's beauty
"Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory."
The universe is a great cathedral echoing with the praise of God's glory. The faint echo of the orchestra stirs within us a longing to fully experience His glory. It imparts the hope that we shall not merely hear the echo but play the music. This the destiny of all God's children.
Within us stirs a longing for beauty--not just a fleeting glimpse of the fading sunset, but an eternal immersion in it. Men spend their lives pursuing joy. We live for entertainment and sports (there is nothing wrong with these things), but they can never satisfy the longing in our hearts for eternal joy. As C.S. Lewis aptly put it, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” I am convinced that this is a God-given desire in the soul of every man intended to draw us to the greatest Beauty: God Himself. The echoes of glory in the creation are intended to draw us to its source; the glimpses of the painting ought to cause us to desire to see the actual landscape.
And indeed, this, our God-given desire, is the God-ordained destiny of all those united to Christ by faith. When we hear beautiful music or glimpse the towering peaks of snow-capped mountains or feel the gentle spring breeze, a thirst grows for greater beauty. The man most fully able to enjoy these things is the one who recognizes them as merely echoes of eternity. The danger is mistaking the echo for the symphony and the painting for the sunset.
For God's children, we can rejoice now in the reflections of His majesty and look forward with hope to our full and final glory with Christ. We have an unshakeable hope in the midst of suffering. We have comfort in the death of fellow-believers. When we receive news of family troubles or experience financial troubles, we ought not despair. These present difficulties work for us an eternal weight of glory.
While all men can and do see the beauty of creation, believers alone see the beauty of the Savior--a glory far exceeding anything known in the universe. Where do we see this? Blazing forth from the pages of Scripture and experienced in the place of prayer. But we ought not keep this to ourselves. This joy becomes all the greater when it is shared with others.
Whether we gaze at the glimmering stars or relax on a sandy beach, if we but open our eyes the glory of God is on display around us. We would do well to pause from the clamor and noise and take some time to enjoy God and His creation. The whole earth is full of His glory. Enjoy it!
The universe is a great cathedral echoing with the praise of God's glory. The faint echo of the orchestra stirs within us a longing to fully experience His glory. It imparts the hope that we shall not merely hear the echo but play the music. This the destiny of all God's children.
Within us stirs a longing for beauty--not just a fleeting glimpse of the fading sunset, but an eternal immersion in it. Men spend their lives pursuing joy. We live for entertainment and sports (there is nothing wrong with these things), but they can never satisfy the longing in our hearts for eternal joy. As C.S. Lewis aptly put it, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” I am convinced that this is a God-given desire in the soul of every man intended to draw us to the greatest Beauty: God Himself. The echoes of glory in the creation are intended to draw us to its source; the glimpses of the painting ought to cause us to desire to see the actual landscape.
And indeed, this, our God-given desire, is the God-ordained destiny of all those united to Christ by faith. When we hear beautiful music or glimpse the towering peaks of snow-capped mountains or feel the gentle spring breeze, a thirst grows for greater beauty. The man most fully able to enjoy these things is the one who recognizes them as merely echoes of eternity. The danger is mistaking the echo for the symphony and the painting for the sunset.
For God's children, we can rejoice now in the reflections of His majesty and look forward with hope to our full and final glory with Christ. We have an unshakeable hope in the midst of suffering. We have comfort in the death of fellow-believers. When we receive news of family troubles or experience financial troubles, we ought not despair. These present difficulties work for us an eternal weight of glory.
While all men can and do see the beauty of creation, believers alone see the beauty of the Savior--a glory far exceeding anything known in the universe. Where do we see this? Blazing forth from the pages of Scripture and experienced in the place of prayer. But we ought not keep this to ourselves. This joy becomes all the greater when it is shared with others.
Whether we gaze at the glimmering stars or relax on a sandy beach, if we but open our eyes the glory of God is on display around us. We would do well to pause from the clamor and noise and take some time to enjoy God and His creation. The whole earth is full of His glory. Enjoy it!
Good stuff, Sam. Reminds me of a Piper quote to the effect that the tragedy of the world is "mistaking the echo for the original shout."
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this-what a mystery and miracle to look forward to the next world!
ReplyDelete