The Art of Reality

Verses:

Psalm 19:1:  The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Psalm 139:14: I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 104:24: O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

Thoughts:

We are in a three dimensional world. How cool is that? We move through space and time. We can see and hear things far and near. And we register so many different colors and textures.

That shadow–what color is it really? Trust me, it isn’t just “grey” or “black.” There are tones of purple or green or red. That tree bark? It’s not just “brown.” Purple is hiding there too, with maybe some blue and orange.

How about your cat’s or doggo’s fur? Is it just plain white, or does it have traces of yellow and red reflecting its surroundings? Is its fur just black, or does it also have deep tones of red or blue?

Try to take a moment to notice the sunlight glinting off the leaves, or the fluorescent bulb causing a white spot of light against your cup. Try to really see. What does light reveal and how do the details fade into the shadows?

Here’s a fun one: the sky. What color is it? Don’t worry, I’m not going to debate whether it’s blue or not. However, is it the same all over? The farther “down the dome” of the sky, the lighter blue during midday. If it’s right over your head, it will be a deeper, more saturated blue. 

And don’t get me started on the sunrise and sunset! Some of my favorite colors are expressed in these fleeting moments. The vibrancy and clarity of color that light creates in the sky is stunning. Oftentimes at sunset, the colors are darker in value than we realize–it’s really quite fascinating. Squint your eyes, and compare the values of the colors with the value of white on a page.

We are creatures living in a world of beauty and wonder, yet far too often we get trapped in our own heads and stuck on our troubles. It’s amazing how much lighter you feel when you take the moment to realize how amazing the world is that God has created, and you practice being thankful and in awe of it.

God is a God of order and wonder. He is the first artist, and the most awesome creator. We live in an amazing world full of beauty.

I’d like to give you a small challenge: set a timer for two minutes and sit and just look around you. I’m serious. Okay, maybe one minute if you really want to fudge. Set a timer on your phone and take the time to analyze and see and wonder at the world around you.

Summary: All of creation shows forth the beauty and wonder of its artistic creator. God is the author and artist of all. We do well to practice seeing and appreciating the world around us. It can give us peace and show us more about the beautiful character of our Creator.

Ask Yourself: How often do I take the time to appreciate creation? Is this something I could work on? What can I learn about God from his creation?

#33

6 March 2026