Beholding God’s Greatness:

I like to be busy, and I don’t always appreciate the silence. I am usually at work, at sporting events supporting my students, or enjoying time in hobbies.  I enjoy being with people and listening to them speak. Not to say that I don’t appreciate spending time by myself, but when I am by myself I am either reading, watching t.v. or listening to music.  I am hardly just sitting or lying down, not doing anything at all.  As I have gotten older, I have tried to appreciate the silence, especially in the presence of nature. I have become more and more aware of God’s nature being a way of growing closer to God. 

Verse John 1:3 captures this perfectly with “…through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”  While spending those moments quietly in nature, I have discovered that God is as powerful as the wind, as clear as the light shining through the sun, and as sustaining as nectar in the flowers. I am not consistent in this yet. I still grumble about the cold in the winter, and I still complain about the rain when it ruins my plans. However, if I can try to find something remarkable in God’s created nature once a day, I know that I will grow in joy despite any circumstances.  

It is enjoyable to be busy. It is incredible to check off items from our to-do list. However, we need to make sure to spend that quiet time Beholding God’s Greatness, Intaking God’s Holiness, and Reflecting God’s Beauty.  I gave myself a challenge a few summers ago, as well as others that were a part of my summer team. The challenge was to sit for fifteen minutes in complete silence. I did not allow myself to listen to music, read my book, or sit next to anyone. I stared out at the lake and thought. I engaged all my senses- seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling all that was around me.  It was a humbling experience, and I instantly felt refreshed. 

The last couple of years have been stressful. We have had a pandemic, significant job losses, and political outrage. We are tired. The only way to really get over this fatigue is through spending time with God. This is through his word and through his creation. Sometimes spending time with God does not have to be reading a whole book in the Bible or meeting for an hour with your Bible Study girls. It can be spending 15 minutes in prayer while seeing, listening, and smelling God’s nature. I pray that we can all find something new and rmarkable about God’s heart through this nature today.  

*Note-This was a submission for the Encouragement for Today Devotional challenge. While I was not one of the 13 out of 400 selected, I have put this here for my personal blog. I always can appreciate the opportunity to submit my work, even when it is not chosen. I have grown as a writer through these competitions. I hope you all enjoy what I have written here and have found it encouraging. I also pray that you will find encouragement in the nature that is around us.