So far in this whole year of our Lord, 2016, my wife and I have travelled to many towns and villages in our area to lead in worship in our Presbyterian churches. Some were without a minister, and in others, the pastor was on leave or on vacation. As we travelled, we saw the beauty of nature. There was snow in the winter, early growth in the spring, the maturing of different kinds of grain in the summer, and then harvest in the late summer and autumn.

There were flowers along the sides of the roads, animals in the fields, and geese in the ponds looking for a good place to build a nest and raise their young. On one trip in late August, we drove by a field of grain which had just been cut, and there were at least three hundred Canada geese feeding on the grain which was left behind. Those beautiful birds were getting ready for their annual trip south. We stopped on the side of the road and admired them for a while. Closer to home, we see the flowers in our garden and birds at the feeders. There is no doubt about it, as the psalmist said:

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. (NKJV)

Yet there are people who just don't believe that God exists. I read a story about a man who claimed that he might believe if he had some visual proof that God is there, like a thunderclap on a clear day or a voice from heaven. Some scientists spend their lifetimes trying to discover the origin of things and indeed of the earth. But the Bible is very explicit on this subject:

Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (NKJV)

There are a great many passages in the Bible which show the greatness of God, therefore:

Psalm 96:11-12 – Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord. (NKJV)

When we arrive at the church where we are going to worship, I look around and see the people: the elderly, men and women, and little children — the crowning glory of God's creation — people who worship Him, who pray to Him, who sing praises to His name, because we know that He is with us, and as the Bible says, we, all of us, are made in His image:

Genesis 1:26a – Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." (NKJV)

The refrain of a much-loved hymn sums it all up:

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
       – Cecil Frances Alexander

When you drive somewhere, when you go for a walk, when you look out your living room window, do you see the beauty of nature, too? Remember, the Lord God made it all.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we thank You for the beauty of Your creation, and it is our prayer that more people would believe that You created it all. We offer this prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.

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About the author:

Joel Jongkind <austria67@bmts.com>
Meaford, Ontario, Canada
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