“The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handy work” (Psalm 19:1). Nothing proves this affirmation more than the beauty of the fall that surrounds us.
Alice and I had made two trips in search of fall color and were disappointed, seeing only slight color in a few places. Then, with the forecast of a possible frost Wednesday night that would surely cause many more leaves to fall, Tuesday we decided to take one more trip in quest of fall beauty. We were not disappointed. We went from Mountain View up to Harrison and on to Branson. We came back through part of the Mark Twin National Forrest in southern Missouri and on to Bakersfield (my stomping grounds of growing up years). In some places, looking far off across the mountains, the view was just almost breathtaking. If you are looking for a fall color treat and still have a desire to go searching for it, we can attest that Harrison was the prettiest town we went through and the mountains of southern Missouri provided the most color.
As we made our drive and witnessed such beauty in nature, I wondered just how anyone can declare that an “explosion” created all of it. It’s beyond me for people not to see the orderliness and glory of nature and not accept that it took a Higher Being to organize and present it and to tend and keep it that way. From time to time, every one of us will complain about some phase of the weather and the conditions we are experiencing. Maybe it’s too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry or too dark or too light. Whatever! We’re human and we do go into the doldrums sometimes. Yet, most of us always realize that God is in charge and He will take care of His own creation in His own way and in His own time. On the other hand, it’s sad to realize that there are so many who don’t accept the power and majesty of our God.
From the very beginning, God created and was in control of all things. He said: “Let there be light; let there be a firmament; let the waters be gathered together and let dry land appear; let there be lights to divide the day and night; let the waters bring forth abundantly and fowl that may fly above the earth; let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind; let us make man in Our image and let them have dominion over all the earth” (Genesis 1). God only spoke and it was so! We all realize that the “spoken word” is a powerful thing, but more so with God than any human being. Everything was created at God’s commandment and everything is still in His care. He created all things and all things belong to Him!
David was such a faithful servant of God and often cried out in anguish at his unworthiness as God’s child. We read in 1 Chronicles 16:8ff, “Give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name and make known His deeds among the people; sing unto Him and talk of all His wondrous works; glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice; see the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually; remember His marvellous works that He has done, His wonders and the judgments of His mouth… He is the Lord our God.” David said to talk of God’s mighty works and seek His face continuously. In other words, don’t forget that you owe your existence and allegiance to God. We ought to be reminded of God’s mighty works as we observe the beauty and consistency of nature.
Paul told the Roman brethren: “The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen… even His eternal power and divinity so that they are without excuse because, when they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God and were not thankful. They became vain in their imaginations… professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:20ff). Paul says the fool denies God.
Let’s look at another of David’s affirmations of God’s glory and power in Psalm 145:10ff: “All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord, and thy saints shall bless Thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom and talk of Thy power to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.” All of God’s works (His total creation) show forth praises to Him and we are to talk to others about His mighty acts and majesty. If we want salvation for our own souls and want to see others saved, we will glorify God as we acknowledge His presence and supremacy in nature and all creation and obey His commandments.
