As I think of the ocean, I hear the roaring of waves, feel the gentle breeze as it whips pieces of hair across my face, and taste the salty air with each breath. Waves are fun when I’m in the water, getting tossed and turned about or riding along on a boogie board. I’ve tried surfing but unfortunately, I lack the balance and coordination needed to stand up!

My favourite moments, though, are when the water is flat with only a small rise and fall. Up and down like gentle breath. The sunshine reaches down to the water and reflects thousands of tiny diamonds, speckled right across the surface. It’s beautiful. And it makes my racing thoughts stop for a moment in time.

‘By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;
by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew,’ (Proverbs 3:19–20)

When I first read over Proverbs 3:19–20, I was struck in the same way, because of what it tells us about God’s character. Through wisdom, understanding and knowledge our loving God created the world! Through his creation we can see eflections of his character, like the tiny diamonds reflected on water.

I’m someone who likes to know what a plan is and then stick to it. I like details and thinking things
through over and over and over again (sometimes, too many times). God had a plan when creating the world, a perfect plan of how everything would fit together.

God had a plan when creating the world, a perfect plan of how everything would fit together.

The same God that knows intricate details, like how many hairs are on my head (Matthew 10:30) used knowledge, wisdom and understanding to create the world. It isn’t just coincidence that trees create oxygen, plants provide nourishment and sunlight gives us important vitamins. God is wise and all knowing. And his plan is in the details.

The same God who crafted the beautiful glisten and shine of sunlight reflecting on water crafted a delicate ecosystem where everyone and everything within it has a role to play. There is beauty everywhere you look in creation.

And when I look at such beauty, I realise that God has given me—and all of us—a privilege and a responsibility to care for and tend to his creation and all we see in it (Genesis 2:15). I know I have a long way to go. Sometimes I choose the takeaway cup over a Keep Cup for convenience or I’ll toss something in the wrong bin mindlessly. But I know that I am made in God’s image, and I know I can look to him for guidance.

Because whether I’m at the beach or in a village in Cambodia, I can learn more of his character. The same wisdom and understanding he used to create this world are for the good of all people. And that includes those who may never have a chance to jump on a surfboard.