13 Jun God of Beauty

Beauty in the creation:

After creating each thing in the universe, God saw that it was good. It was beautiful. When we take time to watch and observe the nature – we wonder at its beauty – shades of colors, how well everything coordinates, the calculations and above all the wisdom, creative power behind it. When we see that beauty we often end up singing “How great Thou art”.In the creation God thought of love, warmth and provisions and all that life needs not just the beauty.

If there are no seasons what would have happened? Only sun in the day and moon in the night – if it would be all the time summer only? Everything would be hot and dry all the time? If it is so life could hardly survive. If there are no days and nights, it would be slogging all the time with no rest. Only work work and work and no rest. People would have worn out to death. If there is no sun and moon, there would be no heat, no warmth? Very often when it is too hot or too much rain or too cold we grumble and think that other seasons are better than the existing one. Such times I begin to think that if God would do the way we desire what would happen? I am sure that there will be only chaos. That’s why Bible says God’s wisdom and ways are greater than our and God’s thinking is higher than ours“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts higher than your thoughts. ISAIAH 55:9 AMP

Everything that is needed and required is well put together for the life to continue in a balanced way. Co-ordinated with each other and well placed. Everything always running exactly the way God in His wisdom saw it is needed. As a result there is no confusion, no problem, no pain. Everything was peaceful and serene. Above all everything is beautiful and good till sin entered.

This is our God. All knowing, and all wise. He thinks through the end from the beginning. He is mindful of all our needs – physical, emotional, mental, psychological, environmental as well as spiritual and He provides us all these needs. So even though the sin has spoiled the image in which God created us,(So God created man in His own image. In the image of God He created him. Gen1:27a) God in all His wisdom planed the way of recreating this Image in us. “Us in the image of God” is the theme in the creation and runs through the History of salvation and in each individual believers’ life too. The ultimate goal and purpose and desire of God is to mold us into that Image of God in which man is original created.

Beauty in the cross:

That is why the cross. Yes God was ready with the plan of Salvation through the way of Cross. In the very beginning the plan was made to defeat the Satan who is the founder, the initiator, planner, the implementer, and processing officer of sin and evil. (Gen 3:14, 15). In the very beginning the plans for redeeming the fallen man was made. The plan to raise him to the beautiful status – the way he was originally created, the exact image of God – by recreating and molding man into the image of God.
It needed meticulous planning, carefully working out in spite of the huddles, tricks and opposition that Satan brought out all through the ages. God finally completed the work of salvation through the Cross. No pain no gain – that is the cross. Beauty through loss, pain, suffering, humiliation, dejection and rejection and loneliness.

Beauty in the believer’s life.

Yes, the cross is not the end. Now accepting Christ does not make the work of salvation complete. In fact it is the beginning and then the salvation has to be beautified as the spirit of God brings changes our lives. He has to be remolded into the image of God the likeness of God in which we are originally created. That is the plan of God for the believer. Yes, loving God with all you heart, soul and mind is important. Obeying God is all the more needed. “Obeying is better than sacrifice”. But transforming man into the image of God, likeness of God is the goal of God for each one of us. That is where we can enjoy perfect fellowship with God – God communicating, fellowshipping – sharing with us, His heart just as He did with Adam and Eve before sin entered. Gen 3:8 for this to happen, we need to co-operate with God with His breaking, crushing, melting, cleaning by taking us through the furnaces. Ultimately being our clean, pure, sinless, holy perfect image of God.

To complete this God is taking you and me through what you are facing in our lives. Many times we only question God saying “why me”? “Why this way?” “Why not like this”? “Why not that?” “Why always and only me and not others?” so on and on and on. Yes for you this and for the others something else. But each according to the intensity required. For each what God has already planned. Ps. 139:16. The purpose is working out His image in our lives. Very often we don’t like with what is happening in us or with us. We agitate, we rebel, and we show our unwillingness. By all this we only hinder God’s work in our lives. Everything is important. But not as important as the transforming work ‘into His image’. Everything boils down to the “image and likeness of God”

Are you thinking it is painful, it is difficult, it is beyond your ability and tolerance? Remember beauty comes only through pain. The way of salvation is only through the cross. Jesus went through the cross to see that beauty in us. That we turn back to be like Him. Obedience is the only way. Co-operating makes it easy and receives help from God. The faster we let God work in us the more we be and the longer we will be walking with God like Enoch, Moses and other heroes of the Bible. Living as living gospels on this earth. Exhibiting the image and character and likeness of God. Achieving God’s goals. What is your status?

Rev. Dr Subrata Fullonton, the author lives in Hyderabad serving the Most High God.