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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). 

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