I love my stand-up paddleboard. Living in beautiful British Columbia, there is an abundance of lakes upon which to spend hours. Sometimes I just stop paddling, sit down on the board, and soak it all in—the natural beauty that stands as testament to God’s creative and loving will. But there is a counterpoint. As much as I might try to push this other reality out of my mind in those blissful moments, I cannot deny the other side of nature. Beneath the pristine surface of the water lies a murky depth. Sin and death infuse everything. I need something beyond nature to be assured of God’s goodness.
While natural beauty certainly stands as evidence of God’s loving will, blessed assurance of God’s goodness comes to me ultimately and only through God’s proclaimed word. In Holy Scripture I read that God has saved me and redeemed creation, not through something attractive and beautiful, but something ugly: the cross of Calvary. On the cross Jesus became sin for me, and through dying put sin to death. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus won the victory against sin, death and Satan. Out of immeasurable love, God has shared this victory with us through the generations.
O God of all creation, we give you praise and thanks for your enduring love and faithfulness! Amen. — TK