"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Ps.19:1
Thank You Lord for the simple, glorious, astounding beauty of Your creation. It's been a challenging, even perplexing, few weeks--some things stunningly wondrous (the birth of our first precious grandchild--joy unspeakable!) and others incredibly painful (the deaths of several dear friends--great sadness and sorrow and a reminder that we live in a beautiful but terribly broken world).
So I guess I'd have to say that this past month or two has been hard...but holy. Sadness...yet also sweetness. It's simply true that we can have deep pain in our heart and yet also a song in our soul-- because of Jesus. He killed death that we might live. He bore our sorrows and sins that we might bear His perfect righteousness. And He conquered death and rose to again that we might be resurrected to new, eternal, abundant life.
But even in the midst of all of life's messiness and hardness and craziness, fall is happening all around us, and oh my, how refreshing to our souls! Autumn shouts of God's creativity and glory. In fact, I think fall is a teensy tiny splash or foretaste of heaven.
So for today, I simply want to rejoice in the beauty of this season and in this world that our Lord created. It may be broken by our sin, but it's still astoundingly beautiful. And if we'll let it, His creation will help to restore our souls.
Here's how David Powlinson puts it: "What helps you to lay your cares down and get a fresh perspective on life? What enables you to step back into the business and hardship of life with a new joy?
The Psalms revel in creation. We marvel at the unparalleled beauty of a sunrise and sunset, and even more at a Master Artist so creative that He will erase His art every day to begin again the next. So many simple, unstained pleasures: collecting stones on a lakeshore. Watching autumn leaves drop. Innocent pleasures are a means to step away from what is hard, wearisome, or difficult in our lives into something restful and beautiful. They are not an escape from life's troubles, they are meant to refresh and strengthen us.
What makes such pleasures innocent? It is the fact that there is a greater pleasure. That greatest pleasure is the Maker of all the innocent ones. Is devotion to God one of your pleasures? The lesser innocent pleasures come because the greatest pleasure, God Himself, is in His rightful place. Innocent pleasures don't pretend to save you or protect you. They don't promise you meaning and identity in life. They don't take life's fragility, pain, frustration, disappointment, and uncertainty and wash them away. They are not the giver of every good and perfect gift; they are just gifts that you enjoy. They are innocent because they don't pretend to be anything more."
Thank You, Father, for the beauty of Your creation and for the simple pleasure of watching the leaves drift gently to the ground...of hearing the distant hoot of owls..of feeling the crisp, refreshing cool air on our skin...of tasting the spicy warmth of hot apple cider...of marveling over the brilliant oranges, reds and yellows dotting our landscape...of smelling the spiciness of fall baking and the aroma of cracking fires. Yes, Your handiwork declares Your glory...but You are far, infinitely far, more glorious, more loving, more beautiful than even the very best our eyes can see and that this world can offer.
Fall is mighty amazing, so Lord You--the Maker of it all--You are absolutely awesome!
What can we say but simply say, thank You, Father, thank You. Thank You for these many little oasis's of refreshment--and reminders of You--along our sometimes arduous way. And to You--the Giver of all, all, all good gifts--be all the glory.
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