Psalms Challenge Week 5
Do you know what I’ve noticed? Despite where I am physically, emotionally, mentally -
The sun rises and paints the sky with colors bright and fierce
The birds flutter and flit from branch to branch, tree to tree, singing their tune
The waves dance along the shore
The flowers bloom, and the bees still buzz
The leaves change in the most glorious display of color
Nature doesn’t notice my struggle. It is steady and constant in beauty regardless of my circumstances.
God created the earth in this way, and although we cannot see His physical form, we can see Him in the things around us. His word reminds us:
For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. Romans 1:19-20
The Psalmists understood this truth; they wrote about it in several Psalms we read this week.
Psalm 96 says, Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy. (verses 11-12)
Knowing God uses nature to speak to His children shows me a few things that my heart constantly needs to remember:
God is in control. Just speaking that sentence helps me relax. God has given us responsibilities and purpose in my life, and we are not called to sit idly wasting life away. Our time is meant to be spent in partnership with God and His purposes. If something doesn’t go the way I hope, or when I can’t understand the circumstances or see a solution, I trust God does. He is in control, and I live my life surrendered to His ways. What a relief that I don’t have to know all the answers or solve every problem. I can trust Him.
God is good. Nature consistently reminds me that God is good. I am in awe of the beauty God created around me. Perhaps nature doesn’t have this effect on you, but I bet something does. Is there something in your daily life that gives you a spark inside? What makes your soul smile and conjures warm, fuzzy feelings? God speaks to us through His creation. When we experience joy and happiness in our days, it reminds us that God — who created all things — is good. If you can’t think of something, maybe it’s time to start purposefully looking for and considering things that bring you joy.
Difficult circumstances don’t define my life. My circumstances and struggles are challenging, but they are not the total of my life. They are part of my story, not the whole story. We see this in nature, too: storms pass, earthquakes stop trembling, volcanos don’t erupt forever. Gray skies eventually break into blue, and the sun returns. It’s easy for me to get so focused on my circumstances and struggles that I start to forget to look outside them. Until I see a beautiful sunrise or the most magnificent red-headed woodpecker on my feeder, and my heart is prompted to turn its focus back to God.
When I do, I find He’s still here. He’s always waiting for us to take our gaze off the world and fix our hearts on Him. Thank goodness His grace and mercy don’t expire.