Beauty

As we were driving through a small town in Montana, I spotted this magnificent tree standing above a junk vehicle. The majestic tree with its brilliant color and wide-spreading branches creates a startling contrast on one hand and, with a dash of irony -- a pleasing picture on the other. God is the amazing Author of both.

God offers the most startling contrast between Himself and man by way of how infinitely above us He is in every way. As we all know, the heavens are so vast that even planets are light years away from our earth -- and, we've never even mapped the entire universe (and I don't believe we ever will). He is so much more than we can ever be that we cannot even comprehend the vast gulf between our ways and His ways. When God spoke to Isaiah in 55:9, He pointed out: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

A pleasing picture is seen in the way the vibrant beauty of the tree overshadows the ugliness of the poor vehicle. This reminds me of how God is able to make something beautiful out of even the most ugly. I love the verses in Isaiah 61 where He promises "To give them beauty for ashes," and further also "the garment of praise." And going along with our beautiful tree theme, He says, "That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

In every aspect, these things are to produce glory to God -- and that is indeed our greatest purpose. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!