The story begins matter-of-factly, declaring the God of the Bible to be the Creator of all that there is.
Our Statement of Faith at Valley affirms our belief in God as Creator: We believe that God is the creator, upholder and governor of all things; that He is above all His works and in them all.
We often worship God as Creator: 'This Is My Father's World', 'For the Beauty of the Earth', 'Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation' or 'O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made... We look around and something within us affirms the words of the Psalmist: The heavens declare the glory of God. (Psalm 19:1)
Recently I had an experience that made this truth come alive for me. I was flying from Penticton to Vancouver, enjoying the view after take-off. As the plane ascended we passed through the clouds, (a very cool experience in itself), breaking free to the open skies. The clouds were like a sea of white beneath and with the mountain tops breaking through, like little islands in that sea of clouds. I could almost see the hand of God tracing the rugged shapes of mountain tops; our divine Artist adding a touch of snow to create majestic snow-capped peaks and adding a countless evergreens, climbing the sides of mountains and reaching toward the heavens.
As we descended, the coastal waters come into view. With a bird's-eye perspective, I could see a winding river and waters gently breaking onto the shoreline. I thought about God's words to Job: Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'? (Job 38:8-10)
For four chapters( Job 38-4), God paints a beautiful picture of the wonder of His creation and reveals Himself not only as Creator, but as One who absolutely delights in His creation. A God who finds joy in seeing a wild donkey run free, the beauty of an ostrich at full speed, the strength of an ox, a horse, a hippopotamus or crocodile or the majesty of a hawk or eagle in flight.
All around us we see the Father's handiwork and when we stop to notice, it invokes in us the same sense of wonder and joy that our God experiences as He looks on His creation.
On the return flight as the plane passed over the mountains the lake opened up before me, the sun glistening of it's waters. On the side of mountain a herd of long-horned sheep grazed; revealing the splendor of their Creator. I thought to myself, only God could create something some beautiful. To hold to the idea that such a scene just 'evolved' is absolutely absurd! This is my Father's world and all of creation declares the Maker's praise.
Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise. (Psalm 48:1)