Nature's Declaration

Psalm 19.1-3
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun...

The place where I am most awestruck with wonder and humbleness is in the beauty of nature. Everywhere we look God is present in nature. Someone once said that "God's fingerprints are in nature." Thus, the psalmist's proclamation that "the heavens declare the glory of God" is certainly true! One need only look in his back yard to see God's handiwork.

I believe that has powerful implications for our worship. You see, because nature proclaims God, we cannot help but listen. That means that just as "the skies proclaim the work of [God's] hands," so too do we proclaim His work. Nature has a fascinating way of forcing man to drop whatever he is doing to stop and admire God's handiwork. It may be a rich, intricate sunset that no television screen or painter could ever truly reproduce. It may be the simple unfolding of a flower in the springtime. It may be the rain that feeds the plants or the dew which the clouds obtain. Beloved, all of God's creation screams out God's goodness and it forces us to listen. We see that "day after day [nature pours] forth speech," and "night after night "[it displays] knowledge." What speech does it proclaim, and what knowledge does it display? It proclaims God's majesty and goodness, His power and mercy, His mystery and creativity.

But these things do not have to be this way. There is nothing that says our planet must be beautiful or our universe so accessible--they are gifts from God. One scientist noted that our position in our galaxy is incredibly unique because we just happen to have an atmosphere transparent enough for us to view out into the heavens. Why is this so? Nature says it does not have to be so. Many planets do not have such a view. It is because space "serve[s] as signs to mark seasons and days and years," and "give[s] light on the earth." You see, beloved, God thinks things through. His creations are beautiful, but they also serve a greater purpose. The outer part of a human is beautiful and symmetric, but his inner parts need not be so--they need only to function. All the beauties of nature we can appreciate not only for their outward beauty, but for their inward stability and function that makes life possible for us.

Doesn't nature make us stop and praise our Father? It ought to do so! Beloved, take every opportunity you get to revel in God's playground. This earth and this universe are full of amazing, mysterious beauties. We ought to appreciate them because God has blessed us with them. How often do we stop and appreciate the oxygen we need for our lungs or the plants that make them? How often do we appreciate the moon for its allowance of our seasons and ocean tides? We can become so busy that we forget nature's declaration: "God rocks!" Remember that each day. Remember we have an awesome Creator who blesses us with all the beauties of the universe. Amen!

With love in Christ,



Austin Aldrich