“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
Psalm 19:1
I remember my grandpa relaying a childhood story to me. He’s told me this story many times and I always enjoy hearing from him. I was riding home with him at the age of probably four or five. He was taking me home and the sky was lit with beautiful colors of pink and orange as the sun began to go down. I had been so quiet that he thought I was asleep. All of a sudden he hears my voice, “Grandpa, didn’t God make a beautiful world?” With tears in His eyes, he said, “Yes!” He had been thinking the exact same thing.
I often think about the ways God reveals His nature to us. For me, to see a sunset that beautiful, even at such a young age, was a clear sign of God’s beauty on display. His love being revealed in nature itself. There have been times in life, if I’m honest, where my ability to see His love in the things around me become blurred and foggy by the waves of life. I can let who He is and what He does fade into the background. I began to miss the way he reveals His love for me in the vibrant things of life.
As I prepare for a big life transition, I find myself numbing my emotions and cruising through life. I haven’t stopped to appreciate the small things, like a gorgeous sunset painted in the sky, the sound of my husband’s laugh, or a really good conversation with a friend. When we stop living with intentionality, we stop seeing God as intentional.
The Bible says that the heavens above declare God’s glory and the sky proclaims His handiwork. The world around us is a screaming testament to the reality that God loves us. He loves me. He loves you. We simply have to open our eyes to see. He desires to speak to you when you go on an afternoon walk. He desires to display His love to you when you are doing laundry. He desires to show you His kindness when you’re drinking your favorite cup of tea. He desires to impart His truth into you as you read your Word in the early hours of the morning. He desires to reveal His character to you even through personal trials and tragedy going on in the world.
“Be still and know that He is God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Our stillness will usher in the gift of His voice because we are quieting ourselves long enough to hear, we are calming our hearts long enough to receive, and we are resting our minds long enough to see. He wants to proclaim His love to you in more things than you even know! The heavens declare His glory. The skies proclaim His handiwork. What else might declare His loving kindness to you? His intentionality to love you through the wonders of the world will become more and more obvious as you become more intentional with looking at the world around you. May we all begin to say, “Didn’t God make a beautiful world?”
Prayer:
“Father, I thank you for the creation of our world and all the beauty within it. I ask that you help me see your loving hand in the mundane tasks of the day and in the major events of life. I desire to be close to you and to encounter your love in everything I see and do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
Written by: Lera I. Ricciuti
