God’s Glory Revealed in Creation

Job was considered blameless by God, and yet everything was taken away from him: his children and servants were killed, his flocks and herds were taken by enemies, and his body was covered with painful sores. Job defended his own innocence while questioning God’s justice, and yet he was changed by his experience of suffering. God’s inevitable response to Job’s perplexity could be summarised in this way: ‘How can you with your limited understanding and power question my wisdom and power?’ And yet I’ve always been struck by the way God communicated this to Job. At times, Job’s defense often reads like a legal indictment against God, but God did not respond in the same way to Job. Instead, he pointed Job to the magnificence of his creation.

God takes Job on a stroll through his own created works, asking if he was present during creation (‘Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?’), if he could command creation (‘Have you ever given orders to the morning?’) or if he had seen the extent of creation (‘Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?’). And later God seems to become overwhelmed and even distracted by the wonder of what he has made:

• ‘[The wild donkey] laughs at the commotion in the town; it does not hear a driver’s shout. It ranges the hills for its pasture and searches for any green thing.’ (39:7-8)

• ‘The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, though they cannot compare with the wings and feathers of the stork… when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.’ (39:13,18)

• ‘[The horse] paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray. It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword.’ (39:21-22)

• ‘Look at Behemoth (possibly a hippo or elephant)... What strength it has in its loins, what power in the muscles of its belly!’ (40:15-16)

As we hopefully near the end of COVID restrictions, many of us are wanting to make sense of God’s goodness, presence, and justice over the past 16 months. Let’s allow God to reveal himself to us through the beauty of his magnificent creation, which is especially magnificent during summertime in England! We may be able to see for miles when we stand at the seafront or at some of the viewpoints in the South Downs, but this can also remind us of our limited perspective. When trying to make sense of our difficult circumstances, it’s important to remember that God sees so much more than we do, he’s been actively involved in his creation since the beginning, and we must recognize and trust in the immeasurable immensity of his wisdom and power. Looking closer at the beauty of his creation - from wildflowers to the designs of tropical fish - we see how his creativity is expressed in love and joy (notice the laughing donkey, ostrich, and horse!). This reminds us that God is not dispassionate in his use of wisdom and power, and through our difficult circumstances, he wants us to experience his love and joy.

God’s response to Job happened shortly before he gave Job twice as much as he had before. As I mentioned in the Annual Meeting, I believe God is leading us into a time of love, joy, and peace by his Spirit, and in the coming weeks, we will explore things that could keep us from receiving his best for us. Let’s spend more time enjoying his creation this summer, recognizing and receiving all he wants for us in the beauty of what he has made!