It happens every time. I just cannot see the ocean without being overwhelmed with the greatness of our Creator God.
I grew up in Indiana, where the only things that stretched endlessly before me were school days and cornfields. But our family traveled annually to the Gulf Coast of Florida for spring break, and during those trips, I developed a great love and awe for the big, big ocean.
I recently accompanied my husband on a business trip to Texas and was blessed to bask in the beauty of Galveston Island for a week. Each day, I sat on our oceanfront balcony and entertained two visitors – a couple of birds who came calling as if by invitation. I am woefully bad at identifying all things natural, but I do know these birds weren’t seagulls. Whatever they were, my friends had an amazing color scheme – mostly gray, but when the angle was just right, I could see a brilliant green and purple sheen. God definitely had given these birds a cool and sporty personal paint job. Later, I walked the beach and looked in wonder at the colors and intricate patterns I saw in the shells that had been tossed up on shore, each handpainted by the Master Artist Himself.
But the natural beauty I saw was only part of what blessed my socks off. Early on my first morning at Galveston Island, I had read these Scriptures in Psalm 8:
“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers …What is man that You take thought of him, or the son of man that You care for Him? Yet You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You crown him with glory and majesty!”
After I read those words, I let them soak in for awhile. David, the author of this Psalm, was essentially saying, “I don’t get it, God. When I look around at all the great stuff You’ve created, why are people are so special to You?”
Looking at the beauty of the Gulf Coast, I wondered the same thing. We humans are indeed “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139), but let’s face it — we’re downright plain compared to some of the amazing critters and creations around us.
So why do we hold such a special place in God’s kingdom and in His heart? Maybe because, as it says in Psalm 8, He has chosen to “crown us with glory and majesty.”
We have been stamped with the very essence of God – His glory. We have His fingerprints all over us. All of creation testifies of God’s infinite imagination and artistic genius, but only humans were carefully crafted to reflect His personal image.
As I walked the beaches of Galveston, I encountered all kinds of folks, from the obviously wealthy to the homeless. On each person, I began to see the stamp of God. I returned home and my new eyes came with me. Each person at Wal-Mart, at the grocery store, at church, driving down the bypass (even the ones cutting me off in traffic) – each bore God’s personal stamp, seal, and signature – His very likeness.
In case no one’s told you lately, you’re crowned with glory and majesty. God’s royal seal is upon your life. It may be hidden under crusty layers of cynicism, bitterness or unbelief, but it’s there. Save the whales and spotted owls another day. For today, remember who YOU are — the most beloved and glorious part of God’s creation. The Creator Himself asked me to tell you.
“And God created man in His own image …” – Genesis 1:27
“For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made …” – Psalm 139:13-14