Last evening, I glanced out my window and noticed the most unusual, eye-catching colors in the sky. The setting sun created a spectacular scheme of light and shade that dazzled my eyes. After a minute of soaking it in, I walked away. Then something brought me back to that window for a much longer gaze. Then and there, I was struck with the realization that displays of beauty must have been designed to declare the existence of His Holy Being. I realized only God Himself could create such day-halting beauty.

My daughter’s smile, a bright autumn day in New England, that glorious sunset, ocean splendor, the Grand Canyon, Hawaii’s volcanoes, the Highlands of Scotland, the Kenyan Serengeti, the Northern Lights, my wife’s face. All these beautiful and wondrous sights are meant to proclaim His Presence in the world. Now, take a deep breath—can you imagine what the Garden of Eden was like? It was far better than anything we see now. The amazing part is that these are just deposits on the real beauty promised and waiting for us in heaven. Are you drooling yet? Because if that doesn’t wet your appetite, I’m not sure what will.

Heaven’s amazing divine splendor, untainted by the decay and sin of this world, will be like an endless museum of masterpieces, leading to the ultimate perfect Master, God. Everything else will pale and become insignificant after we see Him. Just as time seems to stand still when we gaze at a sunset, time will stand still forever in His divine, awe-inspiring, magnificent presence.

However, there’s a problem. Satan’s plan is to: 1) get us to worship the beautiful art and forget about the Perfect Artist (chalk it up to the Big Bang Theory); 2) keep us so busy and jaded that we don’t appreciate God or the gracious blessings of beauty deposits that are appetizers to the real banquet we will enjoy someday; and 3) distort our lenses, so that sin appears beautiful or valuable to us and purity seems weak, ugly or an obstacle.

Today, do not rush past these proclamations of beauty without enjoying and giving thanks for them. The beauty of life is hard to see while sin and destruction in this world provoke so much pain. Think about what they point to—our eternal place, gazing at God and being with Him. Hopefully this assurance, hope and reality will overshadow the darkness, ugliness and problems you are encountering today. Whether you view God’s beauty deposits in this world or you focus on the sin and destruction, it’s your decision, so choose well.

Prayer


Dear Father God, I worship You in the beauty of Your Holiness. Thank You for giving me glimpses of Your ultimate beauty. Help me, Father, to savor the beauty deposits You have provided. Your beauty is a gift. Thank You, Father. Help me fix my lenses on You, liberated from this upside down world that sees beauty in evil. Help me dig for Your gems in a dark world. But most importantly, help me remember that I, too, am a beauty deposit. I carry a responsibility myself –to declare Your glorious being to the world just as Your beauty deposits declare your beauty to me. I pray these words in the name of ultimate beauty, Jesus Christ. And all God’s people say AMEN!

The Truth


The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Romans 1:19-20