“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?”
Psalm 8:3-4
In the Psalm above, David reflects on God as Creator and Sustainer.
As part of God’s creation, we are carried–by reflecting on this reality–to a place of humility, trust, and rest in our God, who is both good and awesome.
Two immediate points for setting up a reflection and challenge:
- God is the Creator.
- If God is the Creator, He stands outside His creation, and His ways are above ours.
- God is the Sustainer
- If God is the Sustainer, He stands within His creation, and His creation experiences His goodness personally.
Reflection…
These two realities coalesce in God’s infinite and personal nature and are explained by His ultimate self-sufficiency, leading to at least two points of reflection and a conclusion:
- Because God is Trinity, He does not need creation to experience love, relationships, or communication. Consequently, He is not dependent upon His creation for anything.
- Yet, because God is also personal, He condescends to His creation for His creation to know, experience, and rest in His provision and goodness.
- Therefore, God is distinct, which enables Him to act and express His goodness to His creation without limit and fail.
The challenge for this week…
- In what ways are you or are you not experiencing God’s sustaining presence and goodness?
- By reflecting on the verses above, how might you find rest in God as the Creator-Sustainer of all you are, have, or will experience in your life?
We press on!
— October 12, 2023