Creation

A recent celestial phenomenon captured the attention of a nation. Social media was awash with pictures; some of the eclipse, many of individuals preparing to watch it. One picture grabbed my attention more than any other. It was of one awestruck little girl named Maggie. Uninterested in self or selfies, she was fully in the moment; watching in wonder as the moon passed in front of the sun. While she was captivated by the eclipse, someone was captivated by her. The photo with its caption, ‘Best Shot I took of the Eclipse’ sent my mind wandering to biblical places; to the palace in Jerusalem.

Musing of a King
What sparked the king’s musing while considering the heavens? Was it a muted sunrise on a misty morning that drew him? Perhaps a thumbnail moon against a star-peppered midnight sky sent his thoughts to places far beyond his view. Whatever the splendor, the psalmist penned a question worth the thought of both lofty and lowly alike. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? Psalm 8:3-4.

It’s not hard to imagine that God would be mindful of kings. But God was mindful of this king, King David, when he was still a shepherd. David was heaven-picked from a pasture and placed in a palace. It’s no wonder he’d ask so humble a question from so high an earthly place.

How About You
Have you ever experienced that sweet exchange, when you captured the magnificence of creation while it stole your breath away? When was the last time you stood in jaw-drop wonder at the creative genius of the God of the universe? Did you dare to imagine the bigger picture; that while you marveled at creation, the Creator was mindful of you?

Take a moment to consider the vastness of the universe and your privileged place in it, then ask the psalmist’s question for yourself, and maybe I will too. Perhaps we will conclude as King David did, “O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:9.

God bless you and keep you,

Roxanne

**A special thanks to Maggie’s folks for allowing me to use this precious picture.

**Dear, sweet Maggie, I hope your life is beautiful and filled with many more wonders.

A heavy snowfall made both town and country roads hazardous and in some spots impassable for standard vehicles. That left me stuck at home and my husband stuck at work for two days. Once the roads were cleared, my husband was able to drive home; though not up our long driveway. He parked in front and trudged up the snowy path to the house. A neighbor saw the truck parked at the road and offered to bring the skip-loader over and remove the snow.

Seeing is Believing

The following morning I sought quiet time to read and pray before starting my day but just couldn’t focus. I couldn’t find the words of thanks or praise. Going outside had often cured that problem so I took a walk. I noticed the driveway that had been covered with knee-deep snow was completely cleared and a rather large pile of snow stood at the far end of the driveway.

Though I never saw the neighbor, or his equipment working, I saw the substance: a cleared driveway & huge pile of snow and the evidence: very large tire tracks. The man said he would clear it, he said how he would do it and all the evidence backed it up. I believe.

Believing is Seeing

While we have no trouble attributing sky scrapers and farmhouses to unseen architects and builders, we struggle with the concept of a God we cannot see. We fail to apply the same principles of reason when it comes to creation and the word of God. The order & whimsy and simplicity & majesty we see in nature testify of a creator. Consider Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.”

While I have no trouble believing in God, sometimes trusting Him is a different story. Circumstances loom large in front of me and, though I don’t doubt His being, I have at times forgotten about Him and His capabilities. Jesus addressed this common problem in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, “Look at the birds of the air” and “Consider the lilies of the field.” Matt. 6:26 & 28. Understanding the definition of faith helps. Hebrews 11:1-“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” All that we see gives us reason to believe the One we cannot see.

How About You?

Do you get stuck in your faith with a lack of faith? Do you worry about how you’re going to make it or where help will come from? You may even wonder if God exists at all. God’s message to His people applies to us as well. Jeremiah 29:13 “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” If you really want to know ‘if God can’ or ‘if God is’, look around you and listen. Creation speaks.

God bless you and keep you,

Roxanne

Read more about reasons for faith in Psalm 19, Matthew 6 & Hebrews 11.