Creation Shouts GRACE
The Argentine Cactus in our front yard will once again show off its one-day-wonder bloom in late Spring. Truthfully, it surprises me that a plant so harsh and uninviting can produce such a stunning flower. Isn’t creation fascinating?
Have you noticed the horizon and how the mountains look silhouetted against a sunset, the expanse of the Grand Canyon, the red rock in Sedona, or a starry night on the outskirts of Phoenix? How about the uniqueness of the Bougainvillea, the delightful cluster of flowers at the tip of an Ocotillo, or the spectacular formations at Antelope Canyon? Each so amazingly beautiful and intriguing in their own right!
Do these wonders speak “curse” to you? Probably not, and yet all are under a curse!
When humankind chose to sin, God put all creation under a curse similar to a scene out of Beauty and the Beast where the extravagant castle transforms into a creepy, ominous mansion. However, in our case, when God put creation under a curse as we read in Genesis 3, He still permitted us the joy of experiencing beauty, even breathtakingly magnificent beauty. Why?
Grace!
God lovingly is all about grace – giving us what we don’t deserve. It’s Who He is!
If I’m being honest, grace is something I will never understand. I am grateful to receive it; though, at times in my sinfulness, I don’t always want to give it. Yet our Most Holy God pours it out in abundance! The Apostle Paul attested to that: “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:13-14).
God lovingly is all about grace – giving us what we don’t deserve.
Grace… Amazing Grace!
“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time—to show us His grace through Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:9).
My sister, Krista, because of a late diagnosis of PKU, has a developmental delay. She’ll never drive a car, be on her own, or manage anything. Even so, her intellectual disability doesn’t stop her from singing at the top of her lungs every worship song she encounters. Once I stood next to her as she loudly sang out the modern version of Amazing Grace; oh, did I mention LOUDLY? My eyes stung with tears and a lump formed in my throat as she belted out, “My chains are gone. I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior has ransomed me, and like a flood His mercy reigns. Unending love, Amazing Grace.”
God’s grace is something worth shouting about. Look around you. Creation is loudly proclaiming – Unending Love. Amazing Grace!
