Creation - God's Masterpiece

Today's Encouragement: Psalm 19:1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.  Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.  It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.  It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

I know it has been quite a while since I have last posted on here, but things have been very busy, and I haven't had much time for formal (or informal) writing.  Sorry for those of you who have constantly checked for new posts.  I have been slacking on keeping up with this. 

As some of you may know, I am a member of a choir that takes a yearly trip to a certain part of the country to show off the music program and different choral opportunities at Lipscomb University.  We travel to different churches, schools, and venues while performing as many times as we possibly can.  I just recently returned from this year's tour, having traveled to Myrtle Beach, SC, Raleigh, NC, and Knoxville, TN.  Let me just say that it was an EXTRAORDINARY trip that God so richly blessed me with.  I got to spend 5 days with some very talented singers and to grow closer to some of them.  I made a few valuable friendships and met a lot of great people.  Still, the greatest thing about this trip was the opportunity to grow closer to God.  How, you might ask? Well, having to spend limitless hours on a bus was a blessing, not only because I was surrounded by great friends and people, but because of the view I had out the window.  The hills of Tennessee and the mountains of North Carolina along with the beaches of South Carolina were some of the highlights.  The leaves were just starting to change, the sand and the ocean were peaceful and cool, and the weather was sunny and gorgeous.  Needless to say, this part of God's creation is spectacular.  I found myself staring out the window for a majority of the trip just taking it all in, smiling the whole time.  This experience drove me to Psalm 19, where David is talking about how creation reveals the glory of God.  I couldn't agree more with him, for I feel that I learned more just by looking out the window than any person or book could have taught me at the time.  You see, it is in creation that we can view the nature of God.  It's definitely not the only way, yet it certainly does a great job, and I think that God made it that way.  Just examine a partly cloudy sky near the time of sunset one evening.  If you look at the clouds, you can see brushstrokes of color seeping through a deep blue canvas of sky.  The sun is radiant and puts forth all sorts of color that no man can truly capture on paper or by camera.  Power is streaked across the sky in shades of red and orange and yellow.  The trees and surrounding vegetation seem to disappear in shadows as the sun nearly sets.  And yet, while one could find it depressing that this miraculous sight only lasts for a few minutes, we are left with the hope that the same course of action will occur again in 24 hours.  So, what can we learn about God in such a brief yet beautiful part of the day? Well, instead of suggesting one or two, I should just challenge you to observe such a sight yourself.  In fact, this can be done at any part of the day really.  Just absorb your surroundings when you look outdoors or take a walk around the block.  What can something as simple as a bird flying across the sky tell us about the nature of God?  How can a tree in flowering bloom inspire us to learn more about the God who created it?  Think about it next time you're about.  If you do take the time to observe creation for everything that it is, you will see how marvelously planned out it is.  It's unique, complex, and incomprehensible; definitely something that couldn't have appeared out of thin air.  And, after observing it, don't forget to remember the God that created it all, and thank Him for His great masterpiece.  He is gracious to let us live in this beautiful world, even in a fallen condition called sin, and that is definitely something to smile about. :)