Introduction: The ways people pursue God, or even pray, can be as
different as the very people who pursue God. Spiritual writers and mentors have
long appreciated these varieties of pathways that pilgrims have followed in
their prayer journey. For example, many are led to deep devotion through such
things as music, contemplation or activism, but others have found that it’s the
beauty and mystery of the natural, created world that leads them to a humbling
encounter of praise and prayer with their Creator God. Of course, the pathways
mix to varying degrees according to our personalities and interests.
Those who find nature an important spiritual pathway can see
their own faith story unfold in the creation story of Genesis 1 and 2 in the
Christian and Jewish Bible. Being mindful not to worship creation but only the
Creator, a consideration of the natural world not only helps them do that, but
also guides them in their stewardship of what God has created. Each day this
week we will look to the ‘seven day’ creation story from these first two
chapters of the Bible’s very first book. All references are from the Bible’s New
Revised Standard Version.
Day 3 – “Awed” -- And God said, “…let the dry land appear… Let
the earth put forth vegetation…” (Genesis 1:9, 11)
Read: Genesis 1:1,
Genesis 1:9-13, Isaiah 55:6-13 and Luke 19:35-40
Reflect: OK, now
we are getting somewhere, a world I can better envision! Never mind how
vegetation could be created before the sun, a query that comes from too forced
an admixture of our science and our theology! For now, a beautiful world comes
majestically into being, forests and flowers and plains, mountains and lakes
and oceans. It’s a world created for God’s good pleasure even before God gifts
it to us for ours.
But what if God had stopped right here on ‘day 3’ of
creation? Interestingly, the scriptures infer God’s creation still had the
capacity to give God praise even without human action. From mountains that sing
and trees that clap their hands in praise (Isaiah 55:12) to stones that could
cry out adulation to Jesus Christ (Luke 19:40), God makes it abundantly clear
that all of creation bows to him. Do I? Do you? Completely and unequivocally?
Nature is one of God’s most elemental and basic teachers,
yet one overlooked by many in our sophisticated, fast-paced culture. One has to
do nothing more than consider how often Jesus’ teachings and parables use
examples from it. He constantly illustrates his points by speaking of such
things as birds, flowers, weather, luminaries, geological features, trees,
seas, fish, seasons. He knew many faith lessons could more easily be learned by
people’s simple observations of God’s created order. If you have time, page
through the Gospels and pick out a few. Which lesson is yours from Jesus today?
Observe: Since I
cannot guarantee good spring or summer weather today everywhere this is being
read, our observation will utilize the mind’s eye. Take another of those
mini-retreats today and on paper begin by listing a dozen different kinds of
flowers. (God’s creation is absolutely giddy with overabundance! But so are
God’s other blessings!) For each of the twelve, then think back prayerfully and
remember two things to list: a way God has forgiven or rescued you, and a
blessing God has provided. Enjoy!
Pray: Lord, as I
number my blessings, I can also become giddy with your abundance. And yet I
still find there are things that hold me back from fully surrendering to you,
or completely trusting you for the provision of my needs. Hear my confession. I
do not wish to leave my adulation to the stones. Amen.
Hymn for the Day: “For the Beauty of the Earth”
Link for the Day: “CreationCalls,” by Brian Doerksen
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