The wonder of nature
If, like me, you love nature and all things created then you’ll need no encouragement to value it; but let’s be honest for those who are still at work or have a family to be busy with it is very easy to lose sight of the wonder of all that God has made. And then when you get to retire and the family is off your hands, you find you haven’t got the strength and the health to spend the time outside enjoying nature as you would like.
One of the things I have heard several comment on over the recent weeks is the clarity with which they can hear the birds sing without the background of heavy traffic, and certainly with the weather that we’ve been enjoying, it has been a wonderful opportunity for those who can get out into the garden or even to go out for a walk to look afresh at the wonder of God’s creation.
I love those verses that speak of Solomon – the wisest man on earth given wisdom and insight as a special gift from God and it says of him:
1Ki 4:30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
1Ki 4:31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.
1Ki 4:32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.
1Ki 4:33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish.
1Ki 4:34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
Here was a man who as well as being a great king under God’s hand, also loved and understood His created world.
There’s a lovely verse in the NT that reads in part
“…on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” 1 Tim 6:17
On this verse Barnes writes “The meaning of this seems to be, that God permits us to enjoy everything. Everything in the works of creation and redemption he has given to man for his happiness, and he should therefore trust in him.“
Friend, surely one of the things that society has lost in the 20-21st (c) is enjoying the simplicity of life. We have so much technology, we do such stressful jobs, we rush from pillar to post. How good it is if only for a little while some of us at least are able to slow down and spend a little more time valuing the wonder of God’s creation. For He has written:
Psa 19:1-4a The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world…
Is it possible that in rightly being very careful to avoid the sin of Romans 1:25 (worshiping the creation rather than the Creator) which so many are guilty of committing in our generation, that instead you have fallen into the opposite sin of not valuing the wonder of what God has made and given to you for your delight in Him?