Faith and God’s Glory

The heavens proclaim the glory of God, the skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. Psalm 19:1-2. NLT.

Oh my friends, have you been caught up in the cares of your world? Have the weights and heaviness of your problems or the problems of others distracting you? I urge you to stop. Take a breath. Look up and look out. Find something God created. Stop. Take another breath. Really look at it. Focus! How do you feel? A bit better?

Thirty-six years ago, my husband packed three small maple tree saplings in his suitcase from Connecticut. He kept them in a bucket for a year at our home in Oregon, and thirty five years ago he planted them here in our yard in Oak Harbor, Washington. We had to remove one of them, but the other two have grown into amazing beautiful trees. This past week they exploded in glorious fall color. The stunning colors are so intense that it almost takes your breath away. The beauty of it arrests me–causes me to pause several times a day. I pray for our East Coast friends as I enjoy and remember the beauty of the autumn season.

I forgot how the beauty of God’s creation refreshes our souls. I am such a put my head down and get’er done type of gal. On our road trips, I would read, crochet or work on a project. My husband would say, why don’t you put that away and enjoy the scenery! When I have taken the time to look at His handiwork, I am awestruck! I still remember my first view of the Grand Canyon, the amazing wonder of floating icebergs in Alaska, and the overwhelming tranquility that comes from sitting at the ocean. Driving through the desert and discovering God’s diverse creativity was such a gift. I had the privilege of studying astronomy with my grandchildren a few years ago. It brought the truth of Psalm 19:1-2 into my soul. The heavens proclaim the glory of God, the skies display his craftsmanship. NLT.

It was almost like the Lord knew I needed this tree to be this amazing this year. It is so colorful it almost glows! Even the reflection in my window brings joy to my soul. Life has been busy–mostly good busy, but I have not stopped to enjoy it! I think God is trying to teach this old daughter to add enjoyment to her life…how about you? Or are you wired another way? My daughter makes the time to go to the beach. She deliberately chooses to take advantage of God’s creation to refresh her soul. I, on the other hand, need it thrust in my face! She teaches me often.

This summer we enjoyed the shade the leaves provided. But as fall drew near, all I could think about is how are we going to deal with these leaves this year? The joy of the tree got lost in the caring for the tree. I think that happens in much of our lives, if we let it. The joy of parenting gets lost in dealing with teaching and training of little lives. The joyful relationship with our spouses gets drowned out in navigating the cares of bills and differing opinions. Even our relationship with the Lord can become wearisome if we reduce it to routinely prayer, reading the word with a nod to “what do you want me to do today?” The gift of this tree felt like a burden. For the past several years, my grandchildren have dealt with these leaves. It’s been such a gift and blessing. But their lives have been getting busier and busier. One is at an internship in another state, another started college and one is heavy into ballet. So, I wasn’t sure how this year would go. But the 12 year old is willing to take on the task…with maybe some additional help from others. (I do pay them!) We also have a giant willow tree that also loses its leaves!

The obvious glory of the Lord displayed in these trees is fleeting. But the miraculous system God created in the seasonal cycle of every tree is just that: miraculous. Fall happens; the leaves change color, they drop, the tree looks barren and hopeless, but then spring begins to cause the leaves to develop and we begin again. God’s glory is still being displayed in the winter tree. Romans 1:20:b states: through everything God made, they [people] can clearly see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. NLT. God’s creation is for everyone not only to enjoy, but to cause us to really see and comprehend Him.

John Piper said: the glory of God is the manifest beauty of his holiness. It is the going public of his holiness. I love this…the fact that God’s creation is God going public with his character, his power and his majesty is amazing. He wants all of his creation to share in his creativity–especially his creation called man.

This tree always goes through its seasonal cycle, but not always in so much glory. This year my soul needed to stop and be reminded of God’s glory. I took a picture, but it does not capture in anyway how stunning it is. My friends take time to look at God’s creation around you…it will bring refreshment to your soul.

Father, you amaze me. You could have made life in black, white, and grays. Instead, you chose to give us an amazing world of technicolor. The color often catches our eyes to see the subtle intricacies of the world around us. Help us focus on what you have displayed, but we have not seen or comprehended.