This morning, in my Sunday-School class, I taught the story of Creation. When preparing the story last night, I thought, These kids already know this story. Why am I telling it to them? I have nothing new to share. But God prompted me to ask them several questions to discover their thoughts on Creation as I was telling the story. One of the questions that I asked several children was, "Why did God make the world?" Each answer revolved around humanity. "He made it for us," they said. Until more recently, I think this has been my own thought process about Creation - that He made the world for us to enjoy. I'm sure someone told me that this wasn't the case. In my own self-centeredness, I must have only heard what I wanted to hear.
Now, I don't see this as the reason for God creating the world. This star-breathing, cloud-counting God made the world for Himself:
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth...all things were created by him, and for him."
Colossians 1:16
The key words are "for him."
So why did He make us? Why are we here?
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Genesis 1:26
According to the Blue Letter Bible, the word "dominion" means "to rule, have dominion, dominate, tread down; a) to have dominion, rule, subjugate; b) to cause to dominate." So He made us to rule over the world.
I'm sure God knew that we were going to enjoy nature. I bet He realizes how it's going to affect us when He paints a beautiful sunset, creates each individual snowflake, or makes a shooting star fall across the sky. Still, the main purpose of His creation is NOT to please me. It exists to praise Him. In praising the Maker, it has the ability to fill me with an overwhelming awe that brings me to my knees because I realize I've forgotten that it's not about me.
Psalm 148
"Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for at his command they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever-
he issued a decree that will never pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightening and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and women,
old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
And he has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his faithful servants
of Israel, the people close to his heart."
