From Pastor Worth’s Desk

During our family vacation this past month we traveled up and down the Oregon coast. Our mission, to visit some of the Oregon lighthouses and explore quilt and knitting shops of the coastal communities. While leisurely driving I was able to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. It got me to thinking how often do I truly appreciate the magnificence of our world, its beauty and its complexity. I wondered why did God create Sea Loins different from Seals? My thoughts ran to why would Harbor Seals and Sea Loins share the same area? Is there enough food for both? I continued to read and discovered that each has a different hunting methodology and territories. One prefers shallower fishing areas closer to shore while the other has larger lung capacity and prefers deeper waters several miles from the shore line. I read materials on the birds of the coastal areas and learned similar things. That some varieties find their food between 12-15 miles from their inland nesting grounds while other species found their food nearer to the coast line. All this turned my thoughts to the vastness of God and His creation.

Have you ever thought about how creative God is? Did you know that he made 7,500 different varieties of apples? Did you know that the average oak tree has 200,000 leaves on it? Did you know that there are 350,000,000,000 galaxies in the universe? The majority of these galaxies were undiscovered until the Hubble telescope began its service. Why did God create so vast a universe with such complexity? I believe the answer is found in Psalm 19.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, ” (Psalm 19:1–4, ESV)

Creation points us to the glory of the creator, the living God. God’s creation is intended to introduce us to God and help us reflect on who He is and what He is like. Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love: overwhelmed by a relentless God, writes “This is why we are called to worship Him. His art, His handiwork, and His creation all echo the truth that He is glorious. There is no other like Him.” Our response is to worship Him.

As vacation ended, I witnessed the power of God’s creation in the powerful storm that rolled in off the Pacific. The wind gushes hit 75 mph, the rain fell for hours and the waves hitting the beach grew larger and larger. It was in many ways breathtakingly beautiful. As I watched the storm my heart rejoiced and my thoughts turned to God and I discovered that in the midst of the storm I was worshiping God. Creation drew me back to God. My challenge for you is to spend some time looking at our world and its beauty and to discover in those moments the majestic glory of God revealed in His creation and draw closer to Him.

Praising God For His Grace,

Pastor Worth