The Worth Of Knowing

“… the King who paints beauty with time,” is a line from John Lucas’ song, Time, that keeps running through my mind.

God made the earth in six days rather than one moment.

God sanctifies over a lifetime rather than an instant.

The God outside of time takes time to create beauty. Why?

People inside of time long for forever time (aka eternity). Yet, ironically, waiting hopefully and patiently does not come easily to most of us. Most of us want good and beauty now – right now. It pains us to wait in the uncertain and unfinished.

But then there’s God, patiently making beauty bloom over time:

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We want eternity yet we’re confused by what God’s doing right now. We hope that eternity has the answers – that there’s a hidden purpose for the things God does in our lives “from the beginning to the end.”

While getting answers to God’s ways is appealing, what we are told about eternal life is that it’s knowing God. It’s time with God that never ends.

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This journey of knowing God starts now and so now is opportunity to create or behold beauty. Our uncertainty, undiagnosed illnesses, unemployment, and unfinished-ness do not disqualify us from knowing God and beholding beauty.

Now is an opportunity to worship.

This time here and now is something God will use to create beauty. And we can work with our Father investing in things with eternal, timeless beauty by pursing things with eternal value.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Right now is also an opportunity to behold beauty that is already in front of us. It’s a chance for us to lean into it and be amazed.

“I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

This time that we’ve got right it front of us? It’s a canvas that God is making into beauty.

No matter where we are in the uncertainty of life, we have the opportunity witness and join in His creation of beauty.