It Was Very Good!
I love springtime!
The warmer breezes, the extra hours of sunlight, the return of singing bluebirds and finches from their southerly winter homes, the young fawns following their mothers out of hiding places into ever-greener meadows, the rumbling thunderstorms signaling warmer weather on the way, the first splashes of color from the daffodils and redbud trees… it warms my heart just thinking about it!
There’s something special about the spring, as it shakes off winter’s chill and ushers in a fresh breath of life and new growth for all creation.
Fresh breath…
…the breath of God…
…God’s breath, the breath that spoke the sunlight, wind, water, birds, deer, trees, and flowers — all of it — into its very existence.
Genesis 1:31a tells us “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” By this time (the end of the sixth day), He had even created Adam, the first man. And He declared all His work to be good.
Every detail was good. Every leaf. Every flower petal of every kind of bloom. Every sweet-tasting fruit. Every savory vegetable, from the dirt-clad potato to the golden ear of corn. Every ocean wave. Every morning dew. Every eight-legged spider and every leaf-like katydid. Every tiny field mouse, and every ivory-tusked elephant. Every snow-capped mountain. Every stream-filled valley.
It was good! And it still is.
For the invisible things of [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse… — Romans 1:20 (KJV)
The whole of nature is too intricate, too detailed, too perfect, to have happened by accident. As my husband is fond of saying, “Design demands a designer.” It’s impossible to look at the creation around us and not see its intricate design… the very evidence of the Designer.
Who tells the trees when it’s time to wake up and sprout new buds?
Who tells the birds when it’s safe to fly north again for the summer?
Who set the orbit of the moon? Or the tilt of the earth?
Who made the snail’s shell into a perfect spiral?
Who tells the deer when to shed their antlers?
Who put the stars in their unmoving places?
Who designed the organs of the human body to work together in such harmony?
God did. And it was good.
He created this world as a demonstration of His power, His creativity, His magnificence… for us. He created it for us to enjoy, to taste, to feel, to behold. He also knew we would easily lose focus, or at least lose focus on what matters. When we remember to look up from ourselves and turn toward the majestic world around us, we are reminded of God and His sovereignty over everything He made… including us.
He feeds the sparrows.
He clothes the lilies of the field.
Yet, He thinks of us more highly than anything else in creation, because He sent His Son to save us. Us. Nothing else. You. Me. Us.
The next time you feel overwhelmed by your circumstances or day-to-day stresses, I highly recommend carving out some time to spend outdoors. Take a look around. Observe the many things He created. Breathe in His fresh air. And remember that you are of more value than many sparrows (Luke 12:7).
Worship your Creator, for He is good.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. — Psalm 19:1
