Dear God,

Today I saw a beautiful bird flying around outside.  Help me be amazed by the creation and the things I take for granted far too often.

You made that bird, and you gave it wings to fly and created it just the way you wanted, simply because you could.  Glory to the God of all creatures.

As I drove in to work, the sun was out, and I could feel the heat and it’s warm embrace.  No way science made that.  God, you did that.  We would have never thought of that.  A big ball that burns to give humans heat and light that’s light years away? We take it for granted, but your sovereign, powerful, almighty mind thought it up before we were formed.  Thank you for being the God of light.

I heard the laughter of children all throughout the day.  Who else but a good, loving, and humorous God could make up a sound that elicits a smile from all those around?  None but You, God.  Glory to the God of laughter.

I ate a delicious dinner of fish and macaroni and cheese, and God, you in your infinite wisdom knew that the taste of fish and mac and cheese would make me and countless others happy, and would satisfy our stomachs, which You also gave us.  We have nothing without you.  Whether we see it directly or indirectly, You provide for our daily needs.

God, you have created beauty.  You have made beautiful people.  You’ve made a beautiful creation.  I have a beautiful family, a beautiful home, a beautiful girlfriend and a beautiful life, as imperfect as it may be…if my imperfect life is in the hands of a perfect God, I’m in pretty good shape.

And the only reason You create beauty is to point back to yourself.  All these joys and beauties, as good as they may be, serve to point us toward you, the God of everything.  Right now, as I write, I’m listening to music that you inspired, music–who would have thought that certain instruments, with a specific constitution, hit, plucked, played a certain way would strike at our emotions, our hearts and bring us such joy?  Who knew the power of words?  Who knew but You, the God of all words,the God of the ultimate Word?

You give us sports, in which we unfortunately at times idolize 20-40 year old men that play a game involving a ball and goal.  But our desire to see our favorite player make a game-winning play reveal that we’re looking for a hero, and this again points us to you, who never lets us down, who always wins, who’s always the MVP, and who’s the ultimate hero.

You gave us an incredibly unique body, with various parts and so many things go on inside us that we take for granted.  You’re the God of all life.

God, all of this points us to You.  In all these things, God, You are the one who alone is worthy of worship.  Help me not worship the created, but let the created and my lesser joy in Your creations lead me to worship and have my highest joy in Christ, the center of all creation, according to your word (Colossians 1:16). 

Jesus, you are, according to Scripture, the agent of creation..through you the Father created.  Creation’s beauty, in all of life’s complexities and spheres, points us to your beauty, Jesus.  To the beauty of worshiping God.  To the beauty of holiness and walking with God in His ways, what we were made for.  To the beauty of having a loving relationship with God.  To the beauty of living for something other than sin’s dark shadows and ourselves.

Everything was created by you and for you, Jesus.  Ultimately, this is all about You, God….the birds, the fish, the sports, the music, and even the mac and cheese.  It’s all about You, and your beauty.  We worship not the things you give, but the Giver.  Show me what this looks like.  Your love, your grace, your patience, your promises, and the glory to be revealed in eternity. 

This is what I await…that as beautiful as this world seems, something greater is coming.  Something rid of sin, rid of death, rid of blemishes…your Kingdom, Jesus.

And the only way I’ll see this is if I have turned from worshiping and following sin and myself to trust in your beautiful Gospel, the center of our faith…the most beautiful story ever told.  One of an eternal King, leaving a heavenly Kingdom to come redeem those who had gone astray.  Of a Savior, paying the price for all sin and taking MY punishment so I could be forgiven and given new life by the very God I had let down so many times.  Of a risen Lord, leading me in new ways and new life and new desires.  Of God the Holy Spirit, leading to repentance and faith, not just once, but every day.  Of God the Father’s adoption, not because this orphan earned it, but because Jesus did.  Of a future life in glory, entered into solely by faith in the merit of Christ.

God, I know I have a long way to go in sanctification.  And my inconsistencies and failures horrify me at times.  But I know I have no where else to run but Your work, Jesus, and Your finished work.  I can’t make another sacrifice or earn it back by my works.  But I can turn from it, hate it and begin to love You and rest in Your grace, shown at the cross.  And by the victory won in the resurrection, I can overcome and keep following You.  I’m not where I was, though at times it seems I’ve gone back there.  You’ve rescued me and continue to do so.  And I’m not where I’m supposed to be, but I trust in You to get me there, God.  I trust in You.  Help me trust more, because tonight I need to…doubts plague me every other day, Father.

You know, God, I’m beginning to see I hate sin….not because I have to earn Your love, but because Your love is better.  Because walking that out and growing in my rest in it and sharing it with others and working for Your kingdom in real life with you is so much better.  Assure me by Your Spirit that I am in Christ, that I may be who I am.

As good and as cool as Your creation is God, and I pray putting this online helps some readers see that…it all reflects back to You.  For as good as Your handiwork all throughout the universe is, we weren’t made to live for and worship the creation.

We were made to live for Christ, in relationship with the Creator through Him.

Thank you God…help this sink in my heart, and with all the faith I have, I put it in Your Son, and Him alone.  Help me live for You. Help everyone who reads this live for Jesus, and do what we were made to do.

Thank you again Father,

Neal