Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way.
~ Genesis 1:31 (NLT)
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My parents live in rural Washington on ten acres. All they have to do is look out their window to see the wonders of what God has made! But those of us who live in the city? We can struggle to find even a little of God's creation, being surrounded by that which man has made. Gas stations, restaurants, freeways, industrial parks. Concrete, steel, fiberglass, aluminum -- all around us! ARGH!
And so we go for walks at lunch, just to get away, hoping for a glimpse of some flowers, trees and grass. We take vacations to the beach, to hear the roar of the magnificent ocean...or go camping to the mountains, where the air is clear and the trees are tall. I think for most, getting away from the man-made into the God-made is a very calming experience. It helps us stop the frenzy within us, and to breathe...
But you know the amazing thing about the city? Everything around us is still made by God! That cement sidewalk you step on? God made the elements. The steel that fabricates your buildings? Made from ore that God placed in the earth. And a thousand other materials the construction of which I don't even understand...but God made the components. God made everything! We don't have to go to the country or smell the roses to be reminded of God's amazing ability to fashion something out of nothing. Everything...out of nothing.
God is truly amazing, and His creation shouts it loudly! So, how loudly do we shout His praise? How often do we tell of his magnificence and wonderful deeds? Do the rocks He created need to speak for us (Luke 19:40)?
I would venture to say that we need to work on the habit of praise. Out loud praise. Visible praise. And not just "Praise the Lord!" -- sorry, folks, but give some backup for why people should praise Him! What is He to you that others should take note? Why should an unbeliever pay any attention to the God of the universe? What reason do you give them to consider Him?
I preach to myself today, so don't feel like the Lone Ranger. I desire to have a good handle on who my God is, how He manifests Himself in the world and especially in my life, and I desire to share that good news with people around me. To give a witness...
Flowers scream with color, the trees whisper in the wind, the ocean roars on the shore -- His creation is in perpetual seasons of praise! I pray that we would be more prone to perpetual praise of our great and mighty God, for there is none like Him, amen?
Love,
Joelene
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Last night after I dropped Camie off at her mom's house in Pollock Pines, I stopped by a tiny lake that's behind their house and got out of the car for a moment.
It was right after sunset. The sky was still red in the west. There was a light breeze and the rush of a small stream that fed the lake next to me. In the distance I could see a cloudburst of rain falling, leaving that slight smear that hangs from the bottom of the clouds. The air smelled of that clean mountain pine mixed with a dash of fires burning in the fireplaces from homes in the area.
I sat down for a minute and thought just what the VOTD today is saying: Wow, God made all this. I thought, this would be a good way to spend eternity, thinking about God, being at peace, loving His creation. It was a neat moment.
My prayer is that God could help us to teach others to see the wonder of that creation that constantly points to Him. Even in the city, Joelene, you are so right. I get the biggest kick out going outside each day and seeing if my tomato and zucchini plants have grown! What a miracle that is huh? (especially in MY garden...)
God made it all, and it all points to Him. Amen!
Wow, what a serene little place you found last night! So glad God could bless your spirit that way!
Yes, all He has made constantly points to Him -- Let us be amazed and speak His praise!
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