In our sermon series on the Psalms, Pastor Micah spoke about God’s steadfast love—a love that will not let us go, a love that endures forever:

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,

            for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136:1-3

As the psalmist continues, he meditates on the ways God reveals his steadfast love to us, starting with creation. He points us to the heavens, land, water, stars, the sun, and moon as signs of God’s love for us (Psalm 136:4-9). In practice, we might be tempted to think of these acts of God’s creation as mundane. The sun setting and the moon rising, the tide pulling away from the shore--that’s just the way the world works! Yet, if the psalmist insists that creation makes known God’s love, perhaps we would do well to slow down and think through how meditating on nature can orient our hearts in praise to Him.

Beginning simply, the beauty of nature reminds us that there is something much bigger and greater outside of ourselves. Think of a time when you were overwhelmed by vastness of the ocean, the height of a mountain, or the brilliancy of a wildflower. When our hearts are postured in gratitude towards God, instances of beautiful creation will cause us to turn our praise from that which is created towards that of their Creator. 

When we enjoy God’s creation, we experience God’s common grace, which is favor available to everyone, whether or not they submit their lives to God. In Matthew 5:45, Jesus says that God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and unjust.” We need the sun to rise every day, but can do nothing to ensure that it does. In His great love, God supplies what we need to live, and does so even for those in rebellion against Him. Through His creation, God satisfies our hearts with beauty, and provides for our physical needs.

Yet God’s provision through His creation is a mere reflection of His greatest gift to us: the work Jesus accomplished on our behalf on the cross. In His great love, God provides not only for our physical needs in the world, but our greatest need to be reconciled to Him. A truth that, when God's world is partnered with God's Word, we can see the fullness of His love-- creation pointing the way to the cross.

Join me in praying that we would be a people who, in seeing the beauty that surrounds us in the natural world, offer praise of thanksgiving to a God who loves us so cosmically.

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Rachael Heinsen is a recent graduate of UCI with a degree in English.  She loves hiking, reading, and all things chocolate. Rachael feels called to higher education, but is currently in a season of rest, excited for all Jesus has for her.