WEDNESDAY MARCH 12TH: In awe of creation

I wouldn't consider myself to be the biggest nature lover there is.  I like to explore the great indoors just as much as the great outdoors.  However, there are some times where I have been left speechless and breathless at the sight of God's creation.  It is a brilliant reminder of how creative and intentional God is.  We could live in a world that could be much plainer, but God made the whole planet a sanctuary where we can glorify His great works.

When I was sixteen, my family and I explored the western US after I attended the National American Baptist Youth Gathering in Estes Park, CO.  I remember looking up at these mountains and thinking, how could anyone not believe in God.  Maybe it is because we often detach the Creator from the creation.  Even as Christians,we get so fixated on the creation and how marvelous it is.  We Facebook it, hashtag it - but we have to be careful and make sure we are praising the One who painted the landscape and not boasting about the places we've been or the things we've seen.  

For those of us that maybe have the ability and opportunity to travel out to the mountains or maybe travel across the world - that is wonderful!  It is a great opportunity and a gift.  God's creation is not exclusive.  It is not only for those who can afford to travel to beautiful places - it is for us all.  So sometimes He brings it close to home for us to admire.  Sometimes He brings it right to our front porches...

Lofty mountain grandeur is not the only thing God specializes in.  He creates the swaying trees, the lush green grass, and the gentle fields.  You don't even have to leave your back yard, and the Creator will paint you a gorgeous scene. 

(photo borrowed from summitpost.org)

Can you guess where this mountain is situated?  It's not one of our national parks...it's Mt. Damavand in Iran.  Often when we think of the Middle East, we think of all the conflict that has been plaguing those countries for the last decade and beyond.  We think about the rough desert areas where blood from people of all nations is shed.  But here, in the midst of that, God has created this beautiful landscape.  The beauty of creation is not exclusive to one part of the world - it is everywhere.  It is a good reminder that the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord (Psalm 24:1). 

~SP