“By His Spirit He adorned the heavens…” Job 26:13
Adornment
Adorn: make more beautiful or attractive
I know various women who have beautiful homes. When I visit, I am in awe of what they have done to make their living space comfortable, beautiful, and welcoming. I don’t have a single “home interior decorator” gene in my body. I can generally tell if a hanging picture is crooked, but that’s about it.
Though I can’t decorate a home like some women can, I can adorn the interior of my heart. “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3-4). I don’t do it perfectly, but I’m learning.
We each do what we can, right?
What none of us can do is what God does, and this brings me to my knees again and again. When I read in the Book of Job that God adorned the heavens, I got excited. I began to think of all the ways God beautified the heavens.
This is my short list: auroras borealis and australis (see picture above)*; meteor showers; suns and moons; sunrises and sunsets; stars; planets; galaxies; clouds of every shape and size; eclipses; rainbows; sunspots; flashes of light—not to mention refractions, reflections, sounds, singing, radio waves; and all kinds of things I have no idea about.
“Indeed, these are the mere edges of His ways, and how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand” (Job 26:14)?
These beauties are the mere edges of His ways? These are just the whispers of Him?
His thundering power we cannot understand in this life, and perhaps we never will. But this I know—it all brings Him glory. Read Job 26, and be in awe. The stars flung out into space. The circular horizon He drew on the face of the waters. The boundary of light and darkness. The trembling pillars of heaven. Clouds covering the face of His throne. The stirred-up sea. The broken-up storm. His uttered words. The earth, hung on nothing. Clouds heavy with water, but not broken.
Mere edges. Small whispers.
We bow before You, O God. We are without words to praise You as much as You deserve. But we are on our faces in wonder at what You have done. Amen.
Boggles the mind thinking about what we have in store for us, doesn’t it?
Beautiful…thank you and amen!
What a wonderful devotion to begin the day. Our God is so awesome, no words can describe.
He provides so much beauty for us to see.
Like you, God has given me other gifts than interior decorating. Thank you for the reminder to be ready for the work He wants to do in my heart, and be in awe of His work in the heavens and on earth. Beautifully expressed.