Nature…
Nature. Isn’t it beautiful? There is something about nature, mountains, rivers, the forest, flowers, and birdsong that stirs something inside of us. This sense of awe, the beauty, the intricate details that whisper something deeper to our souls.
Have you ever experienced stepping away from the hustle of our lives and the towns we live in and wandered down that muddied track into the wilds that surround us. And you find yourself lost in moments and spaces of transcendent beauty that awaken the senses, stirring the soul to recognize the divine in the world around you and making the invisible God, visible.
You are not alone in these feelings, One of the first followers of Jesus, the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans says; ‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen’ (Romans 1:20)
For sure God has introduced himself and made himself known to us through the bible but the reality is not everyone has access to a bible but nature and creation are visible to all of us.
There is something about nature that leads us to something higher. Just think, how many cultures past and present have turned nature itself into their God.
Worshipping sun gods, moon gods, storm gods and sea gods.
But the thing is, the breathtaking beauty and power of the natural world, which inspired people to worship nature itself, is, in fact, the work of the uncreated God, the One who hand-crafted all of this revealing Himself to us.
In the tapestry of nature, God paints His portrait with the strokes of the wind, the hues of the sunset, and the gentle whispers of the forest.
As I gaze upon the delicate petals of a flower, the rugged grandeur of the landscape, or the intricate dance of the ecosystem in the forest, it leads me to worship. Not to worship the forest or nature itself, but worship the One who is infinitely more powerful, more beautiful, the one who handcrafted all of this, God himself.
John Muir, made this observation He said when you go out into nature, it's like going to church to listen to sermons, He said there you'll find sermons that are written in the stones and in the animals and in the trees And if we know how to listen we're going to see the invisible God being made visible.
So, my dear friend, if the ache of emptiness weighs upon your spirit, I urge you to prayerfully open the pages of the bible but to also step outside, to wander amidst the cathedral of creation. There, in the quiet embrace of nature, amidst the rustle of leaves and the chorus of birdsong, you may find solace, renewal, and the unmistakable presence of the One who longs to know you intimately.
