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Key Bible Verse: Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way (Genesis 1:31). Bonus Reading: Psalm 148:1-13

When I lived in Chicago, I developed a friendship with a member of our church who was a master woodworker. About once a week I would join Skip in his shop late at night, and the two of us would "make sawdust" together, as he liked to put it. I marveled at his skill. He was a perfectionist. Once he finished a piece, he'd stand back and gaze at it. "This is one beautiful piece of furniture," he'd say with obvious satisfaction. Moved by its superior quality, he'd momentarily forget that he had crafted the piece. He admired his own creation as a thing of value on its own. Still, I knew that every piece he finished was a reflection of the brilliance of this man. His own work glorified him.

God is the same way. After He created the world, He said that it was good; after He'd created humans, He said that they were very good. He took delight in what He'd made. The beauty of creation reflects the brilliance of the Creator as a perfect piece of furniture reflects the brilliance of the craftsman. The wonder of redemption—Jesus' sacrificial work to save the world from sin, evil, and death—reflects even more brilliantly the glory of God.

—Jerry Sittser in When God Doesn't Answer Your Prayer

My Response: I'll find a time and place this weekend to savor the Creator's handiwork.

Thought to Apply: Christianity is the most materialistic of the world's great religions.—WILLIAM TEMPLE (English diplomat & author)

Adapted from When God Doesn't Answer Your Prayer (Zondervan, 2003) by permission.

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

Thank You, Lord, for mounting evidence that only intelligent design can account for the origins of our universe.

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