The Fingerprints of God
The fingerprints of God are everywhere in this world, yet it is easy for us to overlook God's handiwork that He puts on display. Or maybe better said, I know that it is realIy easy for me to ignore His handiwork. I find that I often get into a routine and overlook His goodness in my life. Therefore, God puts reminders in my life probably with the hope that I will pay attention.
The winter of 2016-2017 was pretty mild, for the most part. However, in January we had a small ice storm. It didn't do any damage in our area, but that ice storm created a calm, beautiful scene for a few hours. My wife and I threw on our winter jackets and headed outside with our phones and her super fun Olloclip. If you aren't familiar with the product, the Olloclip has both macro and wide angle lens that snaps overtop your phone's camera. With the lens, we were able to capture some interesting perspectives of the ice formations. The ice formation above is smaller than the tip of my pinky finger. However, the lens was able to capture some beautiful "fingerprints."
As I was snapping shots that day, different verses were popping into my mind about God's love as displayed in the act of creation and His care for us as His image bearers. His fingerprints can be seen all over the planet. And even though this earth groans (Romans 8:22) as a result of our sin, His care for the details of life is still evident when we pay attention. I have found that for me, a good practice is to try to think each day of a specific way that God displays Himself. On January, 16 2017, He displayed His hand in creation through an ice storm. Below I have listed some passages for reflection that remind us that God really does care for us, even though the world around us doesn't always seem to give us that assurance. You can also check out the rest of the pictures here.
- In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Psalm 102:25 (NIV)
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 4:11 (NIV)
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Genesis 1:26–31 (NIV)
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17 (NIV)