Dave's Diary

Remember, throughout this year we will see many examples of how we are to love the Lord. But this week, we’re setting aside time to think about some of the reasons why we owe the Lord such a debt of love. Yesterday I suggested that we ought to love God because He created us in love. Today, let’s think about another reason to love Him – and it’s possibly the purest reason of all. We should love Him in response to His perfect glory, magnificence and beauty.

Prayer before Reading:

Before you read today’s reading, spend a moment quietly getting focused on the Lord Who says of Himself, “I am Who I am” (Exodus 3:14). Be mindful that right now the Great Eternal One, the great I Am, is with you. Then, join the Psalmist in this simple prayer before you read today’s passage:

May the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (based on Psalm 19:14)

Daily Reading:

Psalm 27

I believe the purest answer to the question, “Why should I love God?” is this: God is glorious, magnificent, and beautiful beyond measure. And so the psalmist prays:

⁴ One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.

May I suggest that, although sacred places like temples and churches are very, very important, the greatest proof of God’s beauty, the greatest temple to His beauty, is this glorious Cosmos He has made.

Remember that this Cosmos, its billions of galaxies, our solar system, our planet and all its beautiful sights, sounds and sensations, were all created by God’s own Word. In other words, this Creation is an act of God’s Self-Expression made material!

So, if this Created Cosmos is beautiful in any way, that is because its Creator is beautiful. And it sure is beautiful. And so is HE!

Creation is beautiful in its vastness, its variety, its visual splendour! It is beautiful in the dark of night. It is stunningly beautiful as day begins and days ends, and every moment in between. And in all of that beauty, we see a pale reflection of God’s beauty on display.

Why should we love God? Because God is just SO beautiful!

Contemplation:

Please take time to ponder creation. if you are not outside as you read this, consider going outside and simply taking in the beauty of all the nature your eye beholds. Today, ponder the beauty your ears hear, or your taste-buds taste, or your nose smells or your hands touch. As you travel around today, slow down and notice the glorious beauty of God on display in His Creation. When you notice something beautiful to any of your senses:

• Thank God for making it so beautiful.
• Recognise that it reflects God’s beauty and ask yourself how that is true.
• Express your love for the particular beautiful attribute of God that is on display.

We are blessed to behold and to enjoy all the beauty that surrounds us and constantly testifies to our LORD’s awesome glory!