The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. Psalm 19:1-2
“For not as yet had that great and precious thing, man, come into the world of being; it was not to be looked for that the ruler should appear before the subjects of his rule; but when his dominion was prepared, the next step was that the king should be manifested. When, then, the Maker of all had prepared beforehand, as it were, a royal lodging for the future king (and this was the land, and islands, and sea, and the heaven arching like a roof over them), and when all kinds of wealth had been stored in this palace (and by wealth I mean the whole creation, all that is in plants and trees, and all that has sense, and breath, and life; and—if we are to account materials also as wealth—all that for their beauty are reckoned precious in the eyes of men, as gold and silver, and the substances of your jewels which men delight in—having concealed, I say, abundance of all these also in the bosom of the earth as in a royal treasure-house), he thus manifests man in the world, to be the beholder of some of the wonders therein, and the lord of others; that by his enjoyment he might have knowledge of the Giver, and by the beauty and majesty of the things he saw might trace out that power of the Maker which is beyond speech and language.”
Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-395) in “That it was reasonable that man should be created last of the creatures” in “On the Making of Man” in Gregory of Nyssa: Dogmatic Treatises (Grand Rapids: CCEL) 531-32.
Today marks the second feast day of Lent. My advice is to go outside and give thanks for the awesomeness of creation as we continue our journey to Easter. Take a walk. See snow-capped mountains or the deep blue sea. Trek through woods or open spaces. Or gaze out a window if you must remain indoors.
May our enjoyment of all God has created enhance our knowledge of the Giver. Also, may the beauty and majesty remind us of the power of our Maker. This gives hope to the hopeless, peace to the struggling, and joy to the sad. Why? Our generous God can do anything.
And He’s given us, as stewards of His creation, many responsibiltiies and promises. Today, think of the abundance around you. What can you do with it? How can you put it to work to produce flourishing? His promises fill you us with wisdom and courage, reminding us that He is with us.
We cannot live on food alone, but need to feast on the Word of God. I suggest you feast on Psalm 19 and 20 today. As our knowledge of the Giver grows along with our grasp of His power, we become more generous because we start to understand the God who is conforming us into His image through our humble obedience.