I wish to encourage you to joyfully acknowledge your creator
As I shared time at this spectacular beach of Matarangi with my wife earlier this week, I was reminded of the privilege it is to live within the handwork of the Creator.
The beauty and complexity of creation is an awe inspiring testimony to the majestic glory of the Lord, who we know through His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:2).
As we grow older, we better understand the wisdom of Solomon’s words; “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Typically, with age, the non-christian heart grows increasingly callused toward God; happy to use anything as a reason not to surrender to Him – this disbelief is the most degrading and insulting.
The World’s View
While the world, in its pursuit of pleasure, has “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25), the Christian is happy to sacrifice lusting after pleasures in order to exalt their creator. Believers are to live with a realistic realisation of the universe we exist within. As Christians, we acknowledge that we were born as non-christian, born into this world under the dictatorship of sin and unbelief, blind to our own sinfulness.
Now, since trusting Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for our sin debt against God, we “have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10). We now live to grow increasingly more like Jesus Christ, little by little, persevering in spite of our stumblings and imperfections (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The Bible’s View
Now, the Bible explains that mankind is knitted together in their mother’s wombs by God. That mankind is the only creature created in the image of God, and is therefore “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:13-14). No chance in that equation. “For by him (Jesus Christ) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). For the Christian, we understand that we were given birth (created) specifically for the purpose of Jesus Christ! Life is not about us, but about the Lord! Our very existence is for the single purpose of giving expression to His character, therefore glorifying the Lord.
For some, life has inflicted severe pain, heart aches, regrets, even hope shattering nightmares that you never imagined possible. These painful struggles can become an excuse for turning away from God, even isolation from the body of Christ, the Church. The heart, being the deceiver that it is, is capable of growing feelings of disillusionment into resentment, and then resentment against God matures into belligerent disbelief with devastating consequences.
The Believer’s View
As believers, we know where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going. We embrace the highs and the lows of life. And while we may not enjoy the lows, we realise their necessity and purpose. So, “let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:19). We don’t allow our pains to deter us from pursuing a life of service for the Lord; “for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Today, joyfully acknowledge your creator, acknowledge God! Surrender to Him! Depend upon Him! Make Him your joy, your hope, your trust, your sanctuary, and your hiding place. Speak well of Him – and enjoy Him!