What a View!

Looking out my airplane window at an amazing view of Africa made me think of the view God has when He looks down at His creation.

Few sights can compare with the view from an airplane. On a recent trip to Africa, I had the opportunity to fly over the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Seeing the never-ending grassland from thousands of feet in the air was breathtaking. Animals and land features, which are large compared to human beings, are nonetheless dwarfed by the distance and the view from the sky. Trying to identify an individual person from that height would be impossible.

Thinking about this while I was flying over the park brought to mind the efforts of NASA. Various NASA probes and satellites have captured stunning photos of stars and galaxies. They often reveal a new star, a new galaxy or a new multitude of galaxies. Our earth is dwarfed by the vastness of space.

Yet imagine how insignificant everything is from the third heaven, where God dwells! Still God can see everything that He has ever created: all the stars, planets, fish of the sea, birds of the air, people and so on.

His special creation

God created everything we see and can appreciate (Genesis 1). He created the heavenly bodies, the plants and the animals that surround us. On the sixth day, something special happened. God created man. He didn’t just throw man together though. God had a specific design and purpose for human beings—to be made in God’s image and to have dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). To be made in God’s image means to have the same general form as God, only with lesser power and ability.

Of all of God’s creation, only mankind has these characteristics. After forming the first man from the dust of the ground, God then personally “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7). God took special care of mankind at creation. He created us differently; He created us to be special.

Be fruitful and multiply

After having created Adam and Eve, God told them to “be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). He told them to have children, to spread out and cover the earth. This is what God Himself is doing today: He is building a family of sons and daughters created in His image. Why?

In Luke 12:32 Jesus Christ said, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” God wants to give those called now “the kingdom.” Eventually He wants to bring “many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10).

What a view!

This is why we were created. God created us in His image so that we could become a part of the God family. He wants to give us eternal life so we can enjoy life with Him for eternity (Revelation 5:10; 21:3). That has been His desire from the beginning.

The view from an airplane flying over the Masai Mara was inspiring. The pictures of space from NASA’s probes and satellites are breathtaking. The view from God’s throne is undoubtedly magnificent. Amazingly, though, God focuses His view on small specks of dust that He calls His children.

God looking at His future family—what a view!