God created the heavens and the earth. -Genesis 1:2
It is said that we become deaf to the things we hear too often. This verse may be one of them. Whether raised in the church or not, we’ve heard over and over that God created all that is. He gave it great thought, designed it carefully, and built it with the unimaginable power of his word. What’s more, he looked upon all that he made and pronounced it good. In fact, he thought it was very good (Gen. 1:31).
But I wonder if all Christians really believe this. What about spiders? When you see a spider, do you say, “Now there’s a really fascinating, amazingly designed little machine!” Or do you pick up the nearest shoe and slam the little thing into oblivion?
“Of all insects, no one is more wonderful than the spider, especially with respect to their sagacity and admirable way of working,” wrote theologian Jonathon Edwards.
He was so enamored of spiders and their capabilities that he studied them very carefully and wrote about them. He knew that whatever he found under the sun had a brilliant Designer, and that this Designer’s brilliance shone through every created thing.
This is our key to grasping the meaning of the earliest words of the Bible. Whatever you find in creation, and whatever it may look like, God made it—animal, plant, mineral, or whatever else.
Every person you meet today and every creature you see is God’s handiwork. To be sure, we’ve all been profoundly affected by the Fall, but every single thing God made has a purpose, whether or not we’ve figured out exactly what that purpose is.
All of history and all that happens in it—yours, mine, and everyone else’s, not a single molecule or event exists outside of our Creator’s rule and reign, even if it doesn’t appear that way at the moment.
For believers, it gets even better.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).
Whatever comes our way has already been written into the script to bring the play to its best conclusion.
“But it hurts and I don’t like it!” Maybe so, but it’s part of the story and is put there by the Author for a good reason.
At the beginning of every year, every month, every week, or every day, we wonder, “What awaits me? What will happen to me? Will it be good, bad, happy, sad, painful, pleasant?”
So today, at the beginning of this new week, let’s ask God once again for his mercy, direction and leading. Let us take comfort in the fact that whatever comes our way will be drawn into his plan and purpose, and will be part of his careful design.
And at the end of life’s play, when the last line has been spoken and the last act completed, we’ll be able to look upon it all and say, “And it was very good.”
It’s guaranteed. Thank God!
- “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin.” How Far Would You Go to Stand Up for What’s Right? - November 15, 2024
- How to Grow or Regain Your Trust in God? - November 11, 2024
- What Have You Done, God? - October 21, 2024
I think Robert Frost had a poem about seeing Creation and Design in what he observed in a spider. A white spider.
Also the band mewithoutYou has 3 separate songs, that make up 1 whole song, about 3 spiders, Yellow, Orange and Brown. all of them observing something different about our lives though looking at the design of a spider!