nature – Page 2

Sunrise and Sunset: Evidence of God’s Goodness

March 6, 2017

Arizona is known for its glorious sunsets. From the back window of my house I can watch the changing colors blaze across the western horizon. At times the view is absolutely breathtaking. This photo was taken a few blocks from my house. A few weeks ago, the sky turned a shade of red so intense I couldn’t think of anything on earth to compare it to. The camera on my phone was unable to do it justice.

The psalmist David said, “They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy” (Psalm 65:8). Yes, sunrise and sunset must take place every day, but God arranged atmospheric conditions so we’re frequently treated to a beautiful display of vibrant color. He didn’t need to do that. The spectacular colors are a bonus.

The real message in sunrises and sunsets is their predictability. Every day the sun comes up, and every evening it goes back down. No need to be sad when it sets, or to worry whether it will rise again the next morning. It will. Some days the sky may be covered in thick clouds that hide the sun from view, but we don’t doubt that it’s up there shining away, or worry that it won’t rise again the next day. We can count on it.

In the same way, we can always count on God to do what His Word promises He will do. Like the sun shining behind the clouds, even in the darkest times He’s there, working behind the scenes. God told Jeremiah the prophet, “I am watching over My Word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1:12). Some versions say he is hastening to perform it. Our God is faithful. He knows what His Word says, and He is actively engaged in bringing it to pass.

Some days, when things don’t seem to be going as we hoped, we may have a hard time seeing God at work in our lives. At times like this, I find myself wondering, “Where is God in all this?” Of course, the answer is simple. He’s right where He belongs. The problem is not with Him, but with my losing sight of Him in some way. I have let clouds of doubt, fear, or other negative emotions block my view of God’s grace and goodness.

The antidote is equally simple: open up the Bible and read what He says about who I am and what I have in Him. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans10:17). When I refocus on the truth of God’s Word, the clouds soon clear.

Consider some of the words God is hastening to perform, such as His promise never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and the assurance in Lamentations 3:22-24 that “His mercies are new every morning.”

Next time you see a glorious sunset, remember that those amazing colors are just “God’s little extras.” Remember the important message of every sunrise and sunset: God is “on the job!” He is faithful. We can count on Him.

Canyons and Snowflakes

December 13, 2016

When visiting the Grand Canyon a couple years ago, I was overcome by the vastness of the canyon and awed by the beauty of the rock layers. Yet, I felt a twinge of sadness too, as I realized this huge hole in the earth’s crust was a result of destruction and erosion brought about by the Great Flood in Noah’s day. Therefore, it was caused by man’s sin. I wondered how much more beautiful the earth would have been before the Flood.

I experienced similar thoughts and feelings more recently while enjoying stunning scenery in the Mammoth Mountains in California. However, the sadness dissipated when a still, small voice pointed out something I had not thought of: when God originally created the world, He designed it so that even after thousands of years of destruction and erosion, there would still be beauty remaining to delight our eyes in the twenty-first century. He had even prepared for the destruction and erosion with love.

When I arrived home for the holidays less than an hour in advance of a huge twenty-four-hour, ten-plus-inch snowstorm, I was thankful for God’s perfect timing, and for friends and family members who kindly gave me rides so I wouldn’t have to drive in the snow. However, I was not thrilled to see Winter arriving in full force.

Later, as I sat looking out my window, I realized the changing seasons are another result of the Great Flood. Before the Flood, there was no such thing as snow. The Flood caused the earth’s axis to tilt, and that tilt causes the changing seasons. In Genesis 8:22, after the waters subsided and Noah’s family came out of the Ark, God declared, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” “So,” I thought, “snow is a result of sin, just like canyons and mountains that were formed by erosion.”

Then came this thought: when God created water, He designed those molecules so that when they froze in the air, no two crystals would be alike. He provided for beauty and wonder, thousands of years before the molecules would have occasion to freeze or crystallize. This was for us, not for Adam and Eve.

How awesome is that? Every snowflake is a sparkling little message of God’s amazing grace and unending love, telling us that when He created the world, He had us in mind. Also, the clean, white new-fallen snow brings to mind that He made all things new and has washed us clean. He could have made snow very ugly as a constant reminder of sin. Instead, he chose to design it so it would shine and sparkle, and remind us of His kindness toward us.

I still don’t love snow; I’m thankful I can winter where it’s warm and sunny. But now when I’m here in the Midwest and I see those flakes swirling around, instead of being annoyed I’ll be praising God, remembering that when He created the universe thousands of years ago, He thought of me.