ODJ: Creation Teaching

July 11, 2017 

READ: Psalm 19:1-14 

They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world (vv.3-4).

We recently moved to my husband’s hometown, a city that features a beautiful metro park system. Every day, prior to work and after dropping off two of our three young daughters at school, we take a brief hike together. My husband straps our baby onto his back in a backpack-like contraption, and off we go!

Along with the trees, river and streams, we see wild turkeys, countless deer (including fawns and their parents), herons, goldfinches, cardinals, woodpeckers, squirrels and chipmunks. We also relish seeing turtles of all sizes sunning themselves on the trunks of fallen trees in a bog.

As we hike through the nature preserves, I remind myself to look up. For indeed, “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. They speak without a sound or word . . . . Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world” (Psalm 19:1-4). If I’m outside at night, I intentionally gaze up at the stars in the hope of getting to know God a little better (v.2). If I can’t go outside, I look out the window to catch a glimpse of His creation.

Spending time in nature nurtures our spiritual growth. As Paul notes, creation—animals, birds, the sky, the earth, the trees, the plants and the fish—reveal aspects of God’s nature (Romans 1:20). Theologians call this truth general revelation.

Spending time in creation definitely does reveal the natural world’s compelling testimony about our Creator. As Jesus taught, it’s important for us to note the flowers of the field, for they reflect God’s love and provision for us (Matthew 6:28-30).

—Marlena Graves

365-day plan: Matthew 13:44-52