I am an active member of my church's Chancel and Handbell Choirs. Every week, one of the choir members leads the Chancel Choir in a devotional. I usually choose to write my own instead of pulling one from a book. Below is the forst one I wrote a year or so ago.
“In the beginning, when God created the universe, the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the power of God was moving over the water. Then God commanded `Let there be light’ – and light appeared. God was pleased with what He saw.” – Genesis 1:1-4
I have often wondered what it must have been like for God to create the universe. I imagine it must have been a source of great joy; otherwise He wouldn’t have made the universe so vast. As humans, we are unique on this planet in that our species alone has the ability to substantially manipulate our environment. We can form clay to make a pot, and we can combine iron, carbon, and other elements to make steel to be formed into useful items. In the end we are just reshaping the elements around us; true creation, an act of sheer will to make something out of nothing, forever eludes us.
We are also unique amongst Earthlings in that we can make and appreciate music. (While the calls of many species have a musical quality, they are merely that species’ form of verbal communication, not an artistic expression.) When we sing, we create a sound from within us and project it into the world. It has no physical form, it can neither be seen nor touched, and only exists for as long as we can sustain our breath. Yet, for this brief, glorious moment, we get a mere taste of what true creation must be like. I believe this ability is a gift from God, designed to bring us closer to Him, and that it is most effective when shared with our brethren to glorify Him.
I have often wondered what it must have been like for God to create the universe. I imagine it must have been a source of great joy; otherwise He wouldn’t have made the universe so vast. As humans, we are unique on this planet in that our species alone has the ability to substantially manipulate our environment. We can form clay to make a pot, and we can combine iron, carbon, and other elements to make steel to be formed into useful items. In the end we are just reshaping the elements around us; true creation, an act of sheer will to make something out of nothing, forever eludes us.
We are also unique amongst Earthlings in that we can make and appreciate music. (While the calls of many species have a musical quality, they are merely that species’ form of verbal communication, not an artistic expression.) When we sing, we create a sound from within us and project it into the world. It has no physical form, it can neither be seen nor touched, and only exists for as long as we can sustain our breath. Yet, for this brief, glorious moment, we get a mere taste of what true creation must be like. I believe this ability is a gift from God, designed to bring us closer to Him, and that it is most effective when shared with our brethren to glorify Him.
