Sabbath: Us & Nature - God’s Beauty in Creation (Delight) - Utah Devotional (March 24)

So far today we have practiced two important parts of Sabbath. We stopped. We rested. But Sabbath is not only about slowing down. It is also about delighting. As a youth pastor who loves having fun and enjoying God’s beauty in nature, this next part of the day is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. In the next couple of hours, we are going to delight in two parts of God’s creation: each other and the world He made. 

First, we’ll spend time enjoying each other through a fun activity. There will probably be some silliness involved. We’ll laugh, cheer each other on, and yes, we will probably look a little foolish. But that’s okay. Part of delighting in God’s creation is enjoying the people He has placed around us. After that, we’ll head into Zion National Park and spend time taking in the beauty of nature. We’ll look at towering cliffs, massive rock formations, and landscapes that remind us just how creative our God is. 

You might be more excited for one of those than the other. Maybe you’re pumped for the fun activity. Maybe you’re most excited to sit quietly and soak in the beauty of nature. Either way, hold on to that excitement. Because my hope is that by the end of this devotional, you’ll see something important: God delights in both. He delights in people, and He delights in His creation. And if God delights in them, we should learn to delight in them, too.

To understand this, we need to go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible.

Genesis 1: “God’s Creation” – Before anything existed—before mountains, oceans, stars, or people—there was God. There was never a moment when God did not exist. Before time began, God was already there. Then something incredible happened. God spoke, and out of nothing, something came into existence. Theologians call this, “Creation Ex Nihilo,” which simply means “creation out of nothing.” God created everything that exists—space, time, matter, and life itself—by His word. And here’s something important to remember: God didn’t create because He needed something. He wasn’t lonely. He didn’t need friends. God has always existed as Father, Son, and Spirit, perfectly united in love. He didn’t create because He lacked something. He created because He wanted to. Out of His goodness and love, He chose to create a world full of beauty. The sky, the oceans, animals on land and in the sea, planets, galaxies, and everything we see around us all exist because God decided they should. That means something important for us today. When we look at creation, we don’t worship it. We know that creation itself is not God. But when we see its beauty, it is completely right for our hearts to respond with wonder. Because what we are looking at is the Creator’s masterpiece. If God is beautiful, then it makes sense that His creation reflects that beauty. But in the creation story, God saves something special for last.

Genesis 1 & 2: “God’s Imago Dei” – Near the end of Genesis 1, we read about the creation of human beings. God makes men and women in His image, something theologians call the Imago Dei. Being made in the image of God means we were created to reflect who God is. This idea is so important, Chapter 2 was written to zoom in on its importance. Human beings were designed to represent Him in the world. That makes humanity incredibly significant. Jesus even highlights this idea later in Matthew 6, when He says that God cares deeply about the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, but He cares even more about us. Why? Because we are not just another part of creation. We are image-bearers. We were created for relationship with God, and we were created to reflect His character to the world. That means something important for our Sabbath today. Delighting in one another—laughing together, encouraging one another, enjoying each other’s company—is not a distraction from worship. It is actually part of living as God’s image-bearers. People matter deeply to God. But the story of Genesis doesn’t stay perfect for long.

Genesis 3: “Creation Changed” – This is the part of the story that isn’t easy to talk about, but it helps us understand the rest of the story, and how great our God truly is. In Genesis 3, humanity—God’s image-bearers, the most treasured part of His creation—chose to take matters into their own hands. Even though Adam and Eve walked with God and experienced perfect relationship with Him, they chose themselves over trusting Him. God had given humanity a unique responsibility: to steward the world He created. No other part of creation received that calling. But with that responsibility also came the freedom to choose. Humanity used that freedom in a way that brought separation from God and brokenness into His beautiful world. That raises an honest question: Why would God place the tree in the garden at all? Pastor and theologian AJ Swoboda offers a thoughtful reflection on this mystery:

“Perhaps that tree, so oddly placed as it was, was God’s way of creating space for humans to leave Eden if they chose. God wants to be loved, but He wants to be loved freely. As has been said, only false gods demand forced homage.”

From the beginning, God desired real relationship with love that is freely given, not forced. To truly know God requires the freedom to choose Him. Sadly, humanity used that freedom to turn away. And that choice didn’t just separate us from God; it also fractured the beauty of creation itself. Sin entered the world, and everything was touched by its effects. But the story doesn’t end there.

Genesis 3 & 4: “Plan A” – Even in Genesis 3, we see the beginning of God’s plan to restore what was broken. God promises that one day someone will come from the line of Eve who will defeat the serpent and crush evil. Christians know this promise ultimately points to Jesus. Sometimes people think of Jesus as “Plan B,” as if God had to come up with a backup plan after humanity sinned. But the truth is that Jesus was never Plan B. If He is the second person of the Trinity (which He is), then He was in relationship with humanity from the beginning. And, from the very beginning, God’s plan was always relationship with His people. Throughout the rest of the Bible, we see God continuing to pursue that relationship. Even in Genesis 4, right after Cain murders his brother Abel, God still speaks to Cain. Humanity may have broken the relationship, but God never stopped pursuing it. That’s what the entire story of Scripture shows us. God is committed to what we call Plan A: restoring relationship with His people and ultimately restoring all of creation. At the very end of the Bible, in Revelation, we see how the story ends. God creates a new heaven and a new earth, restoring what sin had broken. Why does He do that? Because God delights in His creation. And He delights in His people.

So what does this have to do with Sabbath? Today, as we practice Sabbath, we are choosing to delight in the things God Himself delights in. We delight in one another because people are made in the image of God. We delight in nature because it reflects the creativity and beauty of our Creator. But we don’t delight in these things as objects of worship. Instead, we delight in them because they point us back to God. When we laugh together, we remember that God created us for relationship. When we stand in awe of towering cliffs or vast landscapes, we remember the power and creativity of the One who made them. And when our hearts are filled with that kind of joy and wonder, something beautiful happens. Our delight begins to turn into something deeper. It turns into worship. And that is where our Sabbath will lead us tonight. So as we head into the next part of the day, allow yourself to fully enjoy what God has given. Laugh with each other. Celebrate each other’s creativity. Take in the beauty of the world around you. Delight in God’s creation. And as you do, let that delight lead your heart into worship of the One who made it all.

Suggested Prayer:

God, thank You for the beauty of Your creation and the joy You invite us into. Help us to delight in You and in the good gifts You’ve given us. Restore our ability to enjoy life with You at the center. Let our hearts be filled with gratitude and wonder. Amen.

Scripture:

• Genesis 1-4

Questions To Ponder:

• Group Questions

  • What does Genesis 1 show us about God’s heart in creation?

  • What are some things you genuinely delight in—and how do they reflect God’s goodness?

  • How does sin (Genesis 3–4) distort our ability to enjoy and delight in God’s creation?

  • How can we intentionally choose delight in God today?