Heaven and Nature Sing
How can we follow the example of the created world?
Verse of the Day
‘Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! 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 ‘
‘The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! ‘
Today’s Devotional
Autumn is my favorite season. Perhaps it’s because my birthday is in October, or maybe it’s because I prefer cooler weather after the typical oppressive heat of summer. (And this past summer was a doozy!) Whatever the reason, I love autumn. One of my favorite things about fall is the changing color of the leaves.
Let me pause right here and confess that I do not love to be outside unless the weather is nice, not too windy, not rainy. Basically I’m picky. But when the cooler weather of fall blows in, there is something life-giving to me about being outside.
No matter the season, the created world is constantly singing the praises of its Creator. If only we would follow creation’s example.
I also need to confess that I love having plants in my house but I am not very good at keeping them alive. I try, I really do. We have this one plant that is my favorite. It’s not the prettiest plant we have, but do you know why it’s my favorite? Because I always know how it’s doing. (How “he’s” doing. In my world, this plant is a “he”.) He sits in our sunroom, so he gets plenty of light. But when he is thirsty, he lays all the way down like he’s dead. When we water him, he’s standing back up and happy within an hour. He’s so dramatic and I absolutely love him. I wish all of my plants were so communicative (and responsive).
This plant teaches me that I have a responsibility to tend the parts of God’s created earth that are in my care. I also need to realize that I am just like this plant. If I don’t attend to my needs, especially my spiritual needs, I will not thrive. It’s simply not possible.
Nature also teaches us to slow down. Part of the key to becoming a person who consistently attends to our spiritual needs is learning that art of slowing down. Have you ever walked outside on a perfect day and just stopped in your tracks and appreciated the natural world? That’s the pace we need to embrace. I heard in a sermon last month that “walking is the pace of Jesus”. Not running. Not scurrying. Not constant busyness. Walking. We are told to “walk as children of light”, to “walk in the Spirit”, and to look carefully at how we walk. (Ephesians 5:8) (Galatians 5:16) (Ephesians 5:15)
Nature is following the pace of Jesus as it slowly walks from one season to the next. I have a tendency for my pace to be either furiously fast or dead still. I need to learn from the slow, steady pace of nature. I need to watch the example of my plants that lean toward the sun and know that I also need to lean toward the Son.
What does any of this have to do with gratitude? As we learn to slow down, as we lean into the Son, as we take care of our spiritual needs….we “bloom” with the ability to give thanks, with words and with our lives. Every flower on every plant on this planet is an expression of thanks to God. This world was created by God and continually offers thanks and praise to the Creator. We would be wise to do the same.
Today’s Gratitude Challenge 1: What are you thankful for about the created world? What things or places in nature draw your attention to God? Have you ever been thankful for all the seasons? Psalms 19:1-2 says, “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.” When we experience natural wonders, it’s one thing to appreciate their beauty. As we try to become people to practice gratitude, we take our appreciation a step further by taking the time to express gratitude to the Creator.
Today’s Gratitude Challenge 2: Sight. When was the last time you thanked God for your sight? Have you ever expressed gratitude for the diversity of colors that exist in the world? Proverbs 20:12 says, ‘Ears to hear and eyes to see— both are gifts from the Lord .’ Are you grateful for your sight?
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What do you love about the created world, about nature? How can you express your gratitude to God for those things?
How can you slow down your pace today to walk with Jesus?
How can you attend to your own spiritual needs today?
How does practicing the habit of gratitude force you to slow down?
How can you express your gratitude for your ability to see?