Word of Encouragement (4/4/2020)

We spoke of the importance of beginning our prayer with adoration—praising God for who He is and what He has done and what His promises are. This morning, let’s briefly reflect on praising God for His creation.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1);

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3);

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17).

This is the most basic thing we acknowledge about God but what source of awe and confidence and comfort it is! Nothing demonstrates God’s almighty power as His creation. This is what distinguishes Him from everything else. He alone is the Creator—eternal, uncreated, self-existing; everything else is created by Him. We may be able to manipulate and invent with what God has created but we as creatures cannot create anything out of nothing. Not even the angels of heaven or the demons of hell can do that.

If God is able to bring into existence, out of nothing, “heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Ps. 146:6), what is impossible to Him? We are easily intimidated and overwhelmed by our problems. But what are they to the One who made all things out of nothing, who can speak everything into nothing? This thought is what gave the Psalmist the comfort and courage he needed as he felt overwhelmed by the mountains on his way: “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1-2). If his help is the LORD, who made the heaven and earth, why should he feel helpless on account of these mountains and hills, which are but an infinitesimally tiny portion of God’s creation? (And we haven’t even begun to speak of all the glory and wisdom and beauty of His creation!)

So, I’d like to end today’s word of encouragement with a benediction: “May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 115:15)! How wonderful it is to be blessed by the almighty Maker of heaven and earth! This benediction is yours in a greater measure because the Lord of creation is now your heavenly Father in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again from the dead for your justification and adoption and sanctification and glorification!

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