Skip to main content

Divine Extravagance

I recently watched a television documentary about Africa's beautiful landscape and  rich wildlife. In one episode the narrator took us underneath the Kalahari desert with a river that has never been fully explored and beams with increadible species. In another episode we saw the great "Google rainforest" of Mozambique, again teaming with all kinds of plants and animal life. God's creation is truly extravagant on earth, and even spectacularly so in the cosmos - the question is why is it so?  A recent book I read by Louie Giglio and Matt Redman Indescribable puts it this way :
But why create stretches of the universe that will never be seen? Why be content for distant galaxies to go completely unnoticed for thousands and thousands of years? It is a mark of extravagance in the heart of our Creator God. God is not like us. So often our nature is to cut corners. If there’s a room people rarely go into, we’re unlikely to consider keeping it tidy. Or say, for example, we’re decorating a room, and there’s a piece of wall hidden from sight. We may not go to the trouble of painting it. Yet the Maker of all things is not like that. He does not cut corners or sweep things under the carpet. He has stretched out the universe, creating beauty in places our eyes—and even our telescopes—will likely never have the privilege of gazing upon. He is a God of extravagance—unimaginably glorious, completely off the charts of our understanding, and way beyond the powers of our description.
The authors rightly point out that nature's extravagance merely reflects the Author's extravagance. God is rich in extravagance. Our God is truly majestic! He is Big!  I would add that beyond the extravagance in creation being expressive of his nature, it is also an expression of God's rich intentions towards those who love Him and are pleased to be called His own in Christ Jesus. Ultimately God has created such amazing things for His children to enjoy throughout eternity! Indeed, as St Paul says, "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:19). Glory awaits God's children! Extravagant glory indeed! It is an appointment one cannot afford to miss! For as St Paul again tell us,  "heaven holds its breath for the revelation of the sons of God"  (Roms 8:19). 
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Competing Spectacles, A Review

Over the last few weeks the country has been transfixed on the amazing run of the England football team in Euro 2020. I was initially put off watching the football after I saw the team shamefully bowing to BLM at the start of each game. But as the excitement has grown in the country, I have found myself irresistibly pulled to watch a few games in the tournament. The collective national gaze over England’s Euro 2020 is an example of what Tony  Reinke, the author of Competing Spectacles , calls a spectacle.   A spectacle is something visible that captures our collective attention. It is that moment when society’s eyes and brains focus on something projected at us. This may be a big political story, a sports event, a new film or a badly behaved influencer. We primarily experience spectacles through technologies we use. I have been experiencing the spectacle of Euro 2020 through our television, but others have consumed it on the mobile or in person.  Most spectacles are consumed through ha
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →

Are we worth saving?

In the famous film The Fifth Element , Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) poses a challenging rhetorical question to Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) : What's the use in saving life when you see what you do with it? (Watch  here ).   She is speaking 250 years in the future, where life as we know it is threatened by the arrival of Evil. Only Leeloo (the "Fifth Element") can stop Great Evil from extinguishing life. Leeloo is the vulnerable but "supreme being" that comes as human being to save humanity. To accomplish her task she has to activate the four elemental stones of earth, wind, fire and rain, with her self in the middle as the "fifth element" that is forged into the ultimate weapon against Great Evil. It is at this point of salvation, inside the temple of stones, that Leeloo becomes disillusioned and unwilling to perform the role. She comes to realise that human beings are themselves so evil that they are not worth saving. Any “salvation” will be tempor
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →

Jesus Never Fails

Many a times in my life, the words of this childhood hymn has been a tremendous encouragement. I pray this may encourage you too. Keep looking to Jesus! Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails. Your mother will let you down Your father will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails. Your husband will let you down Your wife will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your brothers will let you down Your sisters-will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your church will let you down Your work will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your friends will let you down Your country will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your wealth will let you down Your health will let you down The man of the world
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →