Do you like the beautiful sunset at the top of this page? I love it! For me it speaks volumes. First, it reminds me of my family and our wonderful, high priority vacations that we take every summer without fail. This picture was taken about three summers ago while we were vacationing in Sanibel Island near Fort Myers here in Florida. We thoroughly enjoyed the break from life’s hustle and bustle and many responsibilities. As I write this I am reminded of a fishing trip that we took (just the boys) and the wonderful fish dinner we had. I am reminded of one of the restaurants where we ate and the picture of all of us glowing different shades of red to brown. I am also reminded of how I got very sick and gave birth to my first, and hopefully my only, kidney stone. The Fort Myers hospital, saline IV, morphine, and my wife driving me to the emergency room were all invaluable in the labor and delivery process. I wouldn’t recommend trying the kidney stone birth during vacation but it is an amazing memory! I am also reminded of long walks on the beach with my family where some of us just enjoyed the walk while others combed the beach for the precious shells. It was on one of those walks where we took this picture!
I recall one time when we drove to another part of the beach and watched the sunset with many who drove up just to see the glories of God’s handiwork. It was like we all came to a different kind of sanctuary. As the sun came closer to the horizon everybody seemed to slow down and then all at once we stopped together and watched the sun’s final descent into the Gulf of Mexico. It was both romantic and spiritual. There was a holy hush that came over all of us. When I am in nature like this I hear God speaking, loud and clear, of His ever faithful love to me! I am reminded of what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 8:
1 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and infants
to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies
and all who oppose you.
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority—
7 the flocks and the herds
and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.
9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! (NLT)
When we think of the detail, beauty, majesty, vastness, power, and glory of creation it says something about the artist who created it. What is even more amazing is that we human beings are far more important to God as He went to greater lengths in creating us than He did any other part of creation! He breathed His life, His image, into us. God made us in His image so that we could have a relationship with Him. No other part of creation was given this honor. We can seem so weak, limited, small, and insignificant to the rest of the beauty of creation and yet we are the most important part of all creation for God. We tried to mess it up in the Garden of Eden through Adam and Eve (we would have done the same thing had we been there). But God did not give up on us as His masterpiece of creation. He went to great lengths to restore His image in us through the coming of His Son. We are so important to God that as Jesus said, “‘For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.’” (John 3:16-17, NLT)
Next time that we are outdoors at the beach, in the woods, in the mountains, by a stream, in our backyard, on the golf course, fishing, boating, hunting, playing, resting, on vacation or wherever or for whatever reason let us take time to reflect on who God is in nature and then let it sink in about just how much He loves us, the most special part of creation! My goal in this blog is to use the header for pictures that we have taken of nature and hopefully the pictures will also serve the purpose of pointing us to the most awesome artist who created the most awesome masterpiece!
6 Comments
June 21, 2008 at 10:56 am
Mike, I totally agree with you about the sunsets. Every time we take a mini vacation to the beach, we take pictures of sunsets. I have a whole album of sunset pictures. It is a priority for us at the beach to stop whatever we are doing and watch the sunset. People on the beach, stop and watch until it sets.
I am teaching a bible study on Genesis and we just finished a study on Chapter 8 and the rainbow. It is a beautiful reminder that God uses the beauty of nature to reveal His nature to us. Psalm 19:1 says, The Heavens declare the Glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork! Linda
June 21, 2008 at 11:14 am
Linda,
Great passage. Here is the rest of it:
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens
and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat. (Psalm 19:1-6, NLT)
June 26, 2008 at 9:09 am
Hey Mike,
June 26, 2008 at 9:24 am
Try again, anyway, I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up on your sermons. Yesterday, folks stuck their heads in my office to find out what caused me to break out in such laughter. When a friend popped in I had to pause the recording to talk to her and it tickled me so that I found a way to “shut you up”. Now don’t take that wrong, it reminded me of your sermon on how we treat people. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could “PAUSE” someone while they are talking to just give them a second to think about what they are saying? LOL, I could only wish there were someone handy to do that to me!!
I really wish you were coming with the rest of the crew on July 13th when they stop by on their way to the conference. I have so much to tell you and learn from you. I miss the ministry at Community more that I can express, but I know God has placed me here for a reason and slowly it’s becoming apparent what his mission is, but the course to get there is so uncertain. As you know, our home sits on the Pascagoula River bayou and I spend countlesss hours on the pier, fishing and talking with god. I try to spend more time listening to him, but I’m such a ramble mouth – Are You SHOCKED? I keep reminding myself of Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God, I will be exhalted among all nations, I will be exhalted in the earth”.
OK enough, gotta get the newsletter out. Say would you like a copy?
June 26, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Catherine,
Great to hear from you! I did not know that they were visiting you on the way up. That sounds like a lot of fun! Please tell your hubby that I said hello. Yes, send me a newsletter.
July 2, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Thank you, Mike for the beautiful God pictures you paint with your words. It is as if we are right there with you, just like our Heavenly Father is always right there with us. The song in my heart as I read this was “Who Am I?”