Nature Speaks of God's Glory

Hello West Covina Christian Church,

This week our family is on vacation in beautiful Southern Utah.  We're here to visit Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park; places I've been before growing up but never with the family.  We've only been here several days but I just wanted to send a short devotional thought which will consist mostly of pictures from our trip so far.  What's nice is that our kids do most of the picture-taking nowadays with their fancy phones and devices.

On Saturday, we hit the road in the morning.  We drove to Nevada, through Arizona, and into Southern Utah.  It was a long drive, over 9 hours in 110 degree weather, but we made it safely here.  While it was a long hot drive, it was refreshing to get out of the city and be on the open road.  We had a great time in the car, talking, eating, and laughing.  Although we couldn't wait to get to our destination, I noticed that some of our best times are when we're driving.  In this area, the towns are very small and far apart.  Our first two nights we stayed in Panguitch, UT (pop 1300) about half an hour away from Bryce Canyon.  So we're doing lots of driving.  And that's really the idea for this trip, just being together and getting out in nature.

Romans 1:20 says "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." This passage points out that God makes Himself known through nature.  In the outdoors, we get a sense of God's beauty and majesty.

While we were hiking yesterday at Bryce Canyon, I took a picture of this quotation by Henry David Thoreau.  While I don't think Thoreau was a Christian, even he recognized that nature moves us to commune with something greater than ourselves.  That something is our Creator.

Finally Job 12:7-9 says "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?"  As part of God's creation, animals also bear witness to God as their maker.  See all of nature speaks of God's glory!  I trust that the Lord will open the eyes of our heart to Him as we enjoy His creation.

God bless and have a great week.

Pastor Darren