Have you ever wondered why God gave us such wondrous beauty, beauty that goes far beyond even our most basic needs? As Max Lucado asks “Did He have to give the birds a song and the mountains a peak? Was He required to put stripes on the zebra and the hump on the camel? Why wrap creation in such splendor? Why go to such trouble to give such gifts?” If you think about it, there really is no compelling reason for such wonders other than God’s desire to create everything out of His love.

We are all familiar with the idea of God’s love, we have certainly heard it often enough and in so many ways, how God loves us unconditionally, completely, fully, and beyond measure. We have heard how because of His love for us He sent His only Son into this world to become one of us, to suffer and die for our redemption. But do we really understand the depth of His love? Do we really understand? Do we even care? Do we even wish to know?

It seems that often we go out of our way to ignore God, although for the most part we simply forget that He is with us, watching over us, ready to lift us up when we fall, holding our hands when we are weak, embracing us when we are in need, and surrounding us with His unquenchable love. It is ironic that the more we try to push Him away, the closer He holds us in His loving arms. Like a loving parent who hugs a petulant child who screams “I hate you!”, God knows that His love will overcome all bitterness and hatred, all our vitriol and blather because He knows what is truly within our hearts, He sees inside our souls, He knows that our outward screams of rage are nothing more than anger at ourselves for our own failures.

So just how much does God love us? “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” [Romans 5:8]. While we were still sinners, He died for us. Now if that isn’t love enough it is hard to imagine what else it might be.

We might also remember “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” [Phil 2:6-7]. God became man, flesh and blood! From Infinite to the finite, from Immortal to the mortal, from Creator to the created, He stooped so low to give us the ultimate expression of His love.

Why did God do it? It is difficult if not impossible to imagine. But the next time you are present in a moment of astounding beauty such as a sunset over the mountains or a clear blue lake or the colors of a forest in autumn or the faces of family and friends stop and listen for the voice of God and you will hear Him ask “Do you like it? I did it all for you out of love.”