READ: PSALM 107:21-24, 31; COLOSSIANS 1:16; REVELATION 4:11

Have you been to an art gallery or installation recently? It’s amazing to see the way artists create memorable and beautiful works of art using paint, pencils, clay, stone, fabric, metal, wood, glass…the possibilities are nearly infinite! And just think about how our ability to create art reflects the Creator who made us—He is the greatest artist.

Have you ever thought of God as an artist? Have you noticed how creative He is? Both the cold winter snow and the warm summer sunshine were His idea. He made oceans, and He also made deserts. He made plants and animals, some that live in oceans, others that live in deserts, each perfectly suited to their environment. He made stars and galaxies, atoms and photons…And He wasn’t content to make everything in grayscale—He painted the universe in more colors than we can count! God created everything there is as an expression of love. And that includes us.

God didn’t create the universe because He was lonely or bored or because He needed anything. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have always existed in perfect love and joy. No, He created because it delighted Him to do so!

God has boundless creativity. He has made so many wondrous things, each one just the right color, just the right shape, and just the right size. And even though sin brought brokenness into God’s good creation, He has promised to redeem it. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He is making all things new. And if we put our trust in Jesus, we get to take part in His wonderful work. Because Christians have the Holy Spirit living in us, we can use the creativity He has given us to glorify Him and bless others, both today and in the age to come.

And, as we behold God’s beautiful creation, we can remember how awesome He is and how much He loves us. He’s the greatest artist, and He invites us to enjoy His creation with Him! • A. W. Smith

• What is one of your favorite things in all of nature? Why? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this and tell Him what you like about it!

• In what ways do you like to be creative? How do you like to take what God has made an arrange it in a purposeful way—such as through painting, sculpting, building, designing, cooking, etc.? Is there something new you’d like to try but haven’t yet?

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)