This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.
Psalm 118:24.
4.1 A universe just for you.
Dearest Child of God, before you arrived your heavenly Father created the most beautiful universe you ever saw, filling it with every conceivable wonder. With your loved one, go to the countryside for a day or a weekend. Together look and see it, listen and hear it, touch and taste it, marvel and wonder at this incredibly beautiful creation you live in.
Look and see the towering mountains.
Look and see the gentle blue sky.
Look and see the massive clouds moving tons of water to where it is most needed (without noise I might add).
Look and see the living green grass, every blade part of a regal rug for your royal feet.
Look and see the flowers in their splendor of colors, enjoy their exotic fragrances, all there for your pleasure.
Look and see the insects, the grasshoppers, the bees, the dragonflies, the butterflies... and wonder how He who created the continents and the planets could make such tiny creatures?
Consider all the food the earth produces. How did He discern the taste for that first orange? What divine yearning blessed the ruby raspberry with its most regal flavor?
Blessed Creature, listen and hear the music of the songbirds and marvel at how He who made lightning, thunder and volcanoes could include such sweet delights in His repertoire. Never forget, you are the reason why all this was done.
More wonderful still, all these visible signs reveal the presence of the invisible person of Jesus, through whom all things came to be. (1) "He is the radiant light of God's glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command." (2)
Dearest Child of God, look at each marvel in this fantastic world prepared for you by your King.
Contemplate His heavens.
Taste His life-giving air.
Relish His fruit.
Marvel at His weather.
Admire His gardens.
Wonder at His cobras.
Be astonished by His whales.
Marvel at the power of His sun.
Enjoy the music of His brooks.
See His Harmony.
See all the signs of His Life.
See the power of His will.
Marvel at His versatility.
Marvel at His attention to detail.
Bow before His unfathomable knowledge.
See the length, width and height of your God.
See Jesus' power.
See His gentleness.
See His concerns.
See His strength.
See the organization of our God.
See the anger of our God.
See the violence of our God.
See the musicality of our God.
See the imagination of our God.
See the patience of our God.
See the order, beauty and color of our God.
See His creation, made for you, and adore your God who Is who Was and Who forever shall Be. These are some of the personality and character traits, some of the visible signs in His creation that reveal the invisible presence of the Person of Christ Jesus we call our King. "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer." (3)
And, because all of this was prepared for you, given to you gratuitously, see in His creation your dear Lord's personal Love for You. How personal? Full of awe and wonder of His infinite Majesty, of His unspeakable glory and of His blinding splendor, look deeply into your beloved's eyes and see the beauty of God. See His personal, intimate presence there to care for you, to love you and to sustain you- where love is God is, for "God is love." (4)
Prayers that please God are those made by sweethearts in marriage. Awakening in His creation each morning, each comforted by the warmth of the other, heads together on the same pillow, both rested and renewed, they give thanks for His love- a love that He so personally, intimately and generously brings to each of them through creation and through the Other. Truly, there is no other God as close to us as is our God, "And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as Yahweh our God is to us whenever we call him?" (5)
4.2 Jesus, you and creation.
While preparing for one of my retreats, I felt a need to awaken the hearts of those who would be there, to remind them how very special they are and what Jesus has done for them (and for you and me). With lights dimmed, holding hands, the couples listened:
Listen...
"Dearest Son, Dearest Daughter,
Look at my creation which surrounds you and see what I have done for you. It is for you, my Son and for you, my Daughter, that I brought light into the darkness. See the wonders of my Love which I have made visible to you. It is for you, my Son and for you, my Daughter, that I have divided the days from the nights. Awaken fresh and renewed to the splendors of my creation. It is for you, my Son and for you, my Daughter, that I have raised the land from the waters. Walk and see all the wonders my heart delights in bringing to you. It is for you, my Son and for you, my Daughter, that I have made the earth full and rich, a treasure chest to fascinate you and to delight your hearts.
For you, my dear children, I have made the heavens a jeweled dome. Gaze upon it and marvel at the length, width, height and depth of the home I have built for you.
Dearest children, I have filled the waters with living creatures. The heavens I have filled with birds and have placed all kinds of life on earth with you. I brought forth every molecule, every blade of grass, every flake of snow, every drop of water, every leaf, every ray of light and every conceivable wonder just for you. My blessed children, reign over them all.
Look at each other and see the presence of my hand. My Son, look at my Daughter. Look at this loving heart in whom I delight to be with and to love through you. Look at her hand, made to be in yours, and yours to be in hers, that together neither will be empty of my Presence. My Daughter, look at my Son. Through you I have chosen to walk with him, to be with him and to love him.
Look into each other's eyes, my children, and see how close I am to you. Discover together all the ways that I have chosen to love you. In all things know that I have placed them there for your pleasure in government. In your knowledge of each other, you will see how I foresaw your every need.
Dearest Son, dearest Daughter, you are the first and the last. There will never be another like you; you are my pride and joy, my precious delights. Look for me and you will find my presence still more revealing.
It is my dream, dearest children, that you marvel, enjoy and be filled with rapture as you discover all the things that I seek to do for you. Together, my young ones, bring forth much fruit. Fill this world and conquer it. Together, the three of us will make this journey. We will laugh and cry, we will work and play, we will be still and we will sing.
My Son, my Daughter, as We love each other, as we create together and share with one another again and again, feel the gentle warmth of my heart. Relish in the continued revelation of my presence with you. My Son, everything I have created I have given to you. My Daughter, everything I have created I have given to you. My children, embrace each other here in my beautiful garden. In the union of your hearts, let me walk with you always where our Love will bring forth Life.
Dearest Son and Daughter, you are the fruits of my Love and my Life. Stay with me, love me, as I seek only to stay with you and to love you. Dearest children, my blessings are on you, always."
4.3 How much closer to you can God get?
Dearest Child of God, how much closer can God get? With your loved one, discover together all the wonders of this incredible creation given to you by your heavenly King. Discover His love and concern for your welfare through His creation and in each other.
[The words in John Denver's love song "Follow Me." express what I think our dear Lord would sing to us. Imagine Him telling you of His desire to show you everything He has done for you, then wanting to let you show Him what you can do with His gifts, as "He then follows you."]
Sweethearts can only know real love and real happiness in love when their hearts are in peace. But their hearts can only be in peace when they are in security and they can only be in security when they walk hand in hand with their heavenly King, He who owns it all. (6)
4.4 The bottom line.
Each day, dearest Friend, look, see and marvel at the beauty and splendor of His creation made just for you. In it, see the visible signs of the invisible presence and personality of your heavenly King. Give Him praise and glory and benediction for all that He is doing for you. Keep your hand in His always. Look and see everything He has done for you. Look and see all the ways He has chosen to love you. You really are "the pupil of his eye." (7) "Great are your achievements, Yahweh, immensely deep your thoughts! " (8)
Footnotes.
1 John 1:3
2 Hebrews 1:3.
3 John 6:63.
4 1 John 4:8.
5 Deuteronomy 4:7.
6 Exodus 19:5
7 Psalm 17:8
8 Psalm 92:5