Category: Creation

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Our Awesome Creator

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with His glory.” Isaiah 6:3

The Lord, our God, makes glorious days. He crafts each one in splendor

Within each hour, He imparts endless opportunities to rejoice in the beauty He has formed all around us

May we praise Him in quiet thanksgiving for all that He has done

Our God, the maker of all things, crafts each night to reflect His wisdom. He moves the stars silently across the sky in shining testimony to His power

How great is He who made each day and each night. What He reveals to us through what He has done, increases our faith as we revel in the glory of His works

When we gaze out in wonder at the vastness of the night sky, and when we view the beauty of all He has created that lies before us, we speak out to Him… and He listens

How great then, must be the love of God for us, that He formed this incredible earth that rests within the endless reaches of His universe

And we, who have been made in His image, yet fallen, filled with sin, but continually uplifted through His Spirit, are blessed with all good things to overflowing

By His grace and through His mercy, we are filled with an abiding sense of peace and understanding

How great is the Lord, who crafts each day that we live and gives them as gifts, filled with both joy and eternal promise

What love He blesses us with, that we who come before Him in faith, stand forgiven, and obtain the sure promise of everlasting life

In light of this, no day should ever be filled with dread and no night so filled with darkness that we cry our in fear. For the maker of both the heavens and the earth has come to us

In Jesus Christ, we rejoice, because the God of all is trustworthy. Our hearts are filled with joy, because of the glorious magnitude of His promises

For the maker of each day and every night, from the beginning of time, until forever, has come to us

It is God’s invitation to each of us who call upon His name, to go forth and fulfill what we were created for, and to come live within His awesome presence

How great is the splendor of all creation. But, how much more awesome is He who made all there is. Could anything be more wonderful than knowing Him?   11/12/2006

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Give Praise to the God of All Creation

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens. Psalm 148:13

Shout praises to the Lord of all creation. Give glory to Him who reigns. Sing songs of gratitude for His love and mercy. Give thanks for all those He has saved

Sing forth all you mountains, bend low every hillside; tremble at the power of His footsteps

Raise your branches every tree. Reach high towards the heavens and dance as the winds rustles through your leaves that catch His glowing light

Give honor to Him all you vineyards, and blessing you fertile fields. For He has given richness in great abundance, so that you might bless all those He loves

Call forth you songbirds, cry out every eagle on high; give honor to him, you brightly colored hummingbirds, for He has given each of you the wind beneath your wings

In thanksgiving, bow before Him; with gratitude, give Him praise; for He has fed you from His abundance and place each feather upon your frame

Call out, you azure heavens; raise up, mighty thunder clouds; give glory to Him who stands above you, and stirs you like the dust beneath His feet

Shine forth, every golden sunbeam; illuminate God’s good earth, which He alone has made. Give light to all His children, so that they might glory at the beauty of His creation

Whisper soft hymns, you quiet waters; reflect forth images of His goodness and mercy. Give drink to all those who thirst and life to all who live and breathe

Give honor to the God of the heavens; sing praises to Him who made this earth

Offer, each day, a sacrifice of grateful thanksgiving for all the good things that He has done

Our God is higher than all of His creation; He is greater than anything known. His glory fills up each space within the universe, and His power steers the stars

Sing!, for He is awesome. Raise your voices, because of the magnitude of His glory

Lift up His name, for He is more than worthy of all our praise.  11/5/2006

 

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The Megaton Power in Every Seed

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:8

The other day I awoke early and drove to an open space park twenty minutes from my home. It was a still hot early October morning, and the hills were parched after months of dry winds and no rain. A coating of dust with flakes of ash from a nearby wildfire spread a powdery film on the leaves of shrubs and oaks along the trail. As I walked up a hillside perched above a wooded river valley, I scanned the dry plants along the trail for varieties of wildflowers that were bearing seed. In the spring, this park had a particularly beautiful and widespread display of flowers, and I was on a mission to collect a small portion of the bounty of their seed.

Though it was barely noticeable on this hot dusty morning, these dry hillsides were literally covered with promise in the form of tiny seeds. Each carried the possibility of forming a new wildflower, which, if everything worked out, could be the parent of countless generations of that species. One little seed the size of a pinhead has that much potential. In a few hours that morning, I collected thousands of seeds from a variety of beautiful and beneficial plants that graced these hillsides. These would later be placed to grow in similar environments at other open spaces, and some will sprout up in the yards of people who like to grow native plants.

It is amazing what is packed into the tiny propagating package of a seed. They come in many shapes and sizes, each built with the ability to quite efficiently disperse their DNA into the world around them. Some are good at attaching themselves onto passing animals, others, with durable shells are found in edible fruits that are eaten and transported elsewhere to be dispersed. Some have pods that explode when sufficiently dry and launch their seeds for some distance away from the parent plant. I am especially intrigued by the plants that have seeds which have learned to fly. They have engineered for themselves wings, propellors, parachutes, and wispy threads, that launch them onto the wind and carry them for astonishing distances. There is no place on earth where these types of seeds have not found a place to land.

Jesus once told a story about a farmer who was sowing seeds in his field. His parable illustrated the incredible potential within each seed when it falls upon the right soil conditions. The Son of God recognized the genius of His own creation and used it as a way to illustrate the power packed potential of each seed and within each person who puts their faith in God. You see in life many seeds are produced by each plant, but only a few manage to avoid the pitfalls and dangers that exist here on earth. Only a small percentage find the right conditions to grow and produce more seed for the next generations.

Our faith and our lives exist in similarly difficult conditions. Many of us never truly get to hear the Gospel message in any meaningful way and its power remains unrecognized to us. Others hear the Word and believe for a time, but old habits and attractions lead them astray from God’s message and they never find the time or need to truly understand the magnitude of the saving power of the Gospel of Christ. Then there are those who because of circumstance and acquaintances, are too busy and distracted from being able to listen and understand God’s saving message to them, and they fail to grow and miss the most important thing in life.

But then there are those few whom the message of the Gospel falls upon who open their minds and their hearts. Those made of the right makeup, who possess the right conditions where the Word of God is heard, seen, felt, and tasted. There, God’s Spirit and His Word bring understanding and faith and they are changed. In these precious human seeds, faith yields a production of a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. This is the megaton of power found in each seed. That exponential potential that can transform a landscape or with faith, change the world around them. It can make the blind see, and the lame walk true. It can bring the power of God’s love to flower in dry and windswept lands for generations to come and has restored untold millions to life everlasting in Him.

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A Look at the Big Picture

How many are your works, Oh Lord! In wisdom You made then all; the earth is full of your creatures. Psalms 104:24

As I walked along a trail recently enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, I could not help but think, how great and awesome is He who set these all these things in motion. The one who made both you and me

I came across a rocky ledge that caught my eye. It was filled with layers upon layers of shells. How incredible and thought provoking this was

Clams, scallops and other shells set in stone. Yet, I was more than thirty miles from the ocean

They spoke to me about a vastness of time and place. It set me within a new context of who I am and my place in this world along the ribbon of time

I believe in God, and I also believe in science. To me they coexist and bring amazing revelations.

Science cannot threaten God by revealing truths about His creation. Nor does God condemn science because it cannot imperil His existence or His Word

I am open to what science can teach me, because in the learning I become more impressed of what God has done. This deepens my faith in Him

I learned that these shells had lived six million years ago in a shallow marine environment, two hundred and fifty miles south of where I stood

They thrived in a time when oceans were seventy feet higher than they are today, and when temperatures were cooling, yet, only a few degrees warmer than now

The length of time between when these shellfish lived and when Christ was born, was three thousand times longer than the time between Christ’s birth until today

Our planet is old. Yet, these shells are quite young in relation to when the earth was formed; or when life first began

Life astounds me

That I am alive and can know these things is also, both beautiful and amazing

God created something so grand and deep, and wonderfully interconnected in its present workings. But it is also, connected throughout the entire history of time. Every past event has had an effect and contribution to the future

The climate was changing during the time when those shells lived. Changes like these were common during the course of Earth’s history

When changes were large or abrupt, they were extremely destructive to life. The worst, were disasters that wiped out over half of all living creatures

A new period of climate change has just begun upon earth. It is unique, in that it was caused by a single species of life

Us

The rate of change will be very abrupt and destructive to life compared with other events of the past.  It will be a struggle that could threaten our existence

How warm it gets depends upon what we do now

We live in such an incredible world that God has made. A place that has no equal anywhere else that we know

It is profoundly wrong what we are doing to our planet, and infinitely worse, if we do nothing now that we know what we must do       11/21/19

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A Path That Leads To Faith

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.      Hebrews 11:1

Have you ever spent time observing; Looking out far and wide across this wondrous creation?

Have you ever taken a casual glance at some far off vista, and then spent the next ten minutes watching in rapt wonder?

Is it even possible to comprehend this world, so vast and mysterious?

Did you ever attempt to find your own place amidst such a great and far flung universe? Was it just an accident that you arrived here in this place, in this time? Or, is there something much deeper at work?

Your life is truly a gift of incalculable worth. What a wonder it is that you can see and know, and give and love

Even as all of creation, in it’s timeless way, somehow exists, you are precious in the eyes of God

What He has formed in you, He lovingly treasures. God has a desire for your life that is not bound by the span of time, or by the breadth of all that He has made

And His desire is for your good, so that the joy of life would fill you to overflowing

How sad it is then, that God has often been obscured . That in these times times, He is discounted and discredited. So that we, who need to be connected with our creator, are wilting from a lack of His presence in our lives

We face the starvation of our very souls, because our lives are desperately dependent upon His Spirit

God calls us to live a holy life. To flee from the sin and evil, that so easily afflicts us. For it places a drag on our lives that separates us from Him and leads us to empty places, even despair

He places great importance on this, because it becomes a matter of life and death for those He loves.

God is angered and saddened by all those who do evil, and all those who are compelled to continually sin against Him. By their own actions, they prove that they do not know or regard Him in any way.

How misguided are we, yet God continues to call out to us through His love and through His Word, so that we might come to realize the error of our ways, and then turn, and be forgiven.

It is incredible how blind we can truly be. That we cannot take the time to look and wonder, or acknowledge the great love of God, our creator

But for those who conduct their lives in self control; who place their faith in the God of the universe, and live their lives before Him; These will be blessed, because God’s only intentions are for our good

To all those who love our God, who follow after His ways, these will dwell close to His presence and be fed. Their lives will be blessed through understanding.

The full measure of His loving kindness will overflow upon them in the richness of all that is good and true; and they will live safely in His presence for all of time.   11/10/2006

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God Cares About How We Care For The Earth

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.    Psalm 24:1. Smoky skies smother a valley in California after a recent wildfire.

The Earth and all that dwells upon it, were made by the God of the universe

What He made was marvelous. A creation so rare and unique, that we have never fully appreciated it

Our world is under attack. It lies in a state of siege from the activities of man. For what we are doing, is outstripping the ability of nature to heal itself

It is being wrecked, raped, and overrun

The good Lord made us to dwell within this place and to thrive amidst all the richness it gives. But we have become so many now, and there are some who don’t care about its health

They look upon the earth as an opportunity, so they can gain riches for themselves no matter what the cost may be

As a whole, we have no concept of our God

Because if we did, we would see the extent of the damage we are doing to His precious creation here upon earth. A wonder like no other; one of a kind

Where else do you think we could go, when this place becomes too difficult to live on?

Do we flee to another world? A world already incredibly harsh and lifeless?

Or will we try to scratch it out and survive here, on an earth that is far less supportive of our life?

Why would we want to do this? Are we so ignorant that we can’t change our ways? Are we so heartless as to allow this to happen?

We have become separated from our God

It is a sign of our ignorance and lack of faith in Him, that we mistreat this home of ours.

A testimony, to our lack of love, that we harm others for our own gain. We murder whole populations of life, so that we can earn more money for ourselves and our stockholders. What is it then, that we own?

Shame on us and our selfish ways. Cursed are we who destroy God’s amazing creation

Our Creator made us stewards of this amazing place. Caretakers of His world that is filled with beauty. He crafted it by His love with His own hands, yet we are trampling it to ruin by our greedy pursuits

We must find our love again, so that we might survive this time to come

We must renew our faith in Him, so that we can see our way forward, with love

In showing compassion for the life of all that dwell on the earth, we will find a path far richer and better than the one we travel on this day

7/19/2020

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A Rainy Day

For the Earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God. Hebrews: 6:7

There is something wonderful, and at the same time humbling, in carefully watching the gathering clouds of an approaching storm front. The south winds freshen and the skies grow darker and more ominous until suddenly there comes those first fat raindrops. The smell of rain in the air after a prolonged dry spell, is a fragrance that has no comparison. As the front moves through the rain intensifies and sometimes flows down in torrents. It washes everything clean and soaks deep into the earth, activating and invigorating all the life within it. Rainy days can be such a blessing for a garden and for the gardener, too. For they give us a time to rest and catch up on things inside the shop. But most of all, , it is the privilege of watching God’s renewing forces at work in His creation. A rainstorm is a marvel. It is a flowing, moving, active work of art set in play by a breath from the lips of our gracious God.

I find that storms are a gateway for my imagination to see into the larger picture of God’s creative work. Think of it, this Earth, and these natural cycles of rain and sun that wash over it; All meant for the blessing of His creation of living plants and organisms. We live in such an amazing and fragile world, there is nothing like in the entire known universe. in comparison to the width and breadth of the heavens above, this place where all of life exists is mostly within a few miles of the Earth’s surface. Life tightly hugs to this tiny speck of rock, and is lost against the backdrop of billions upon billions of galaxies. We live in such a soft and tender world, surrounded by an almost infinite space that is harsh and unlivable. This place, our garden home called Earth, is no accident, but the evidence of a kind and loving God made manifest in the physical realm. It is our home, a precious creation.

As I look out over my rain drenches garden, I am humbled beyond measure, to realize the many blessings God has poured out upon us. For He has given us every green herb and tree to be useful and beneficial for us. They give us food, medicine, and useful materials that we use and depend on each day. We have not begun to understand the uses, importance, and wonderful secrets that lie hidden within our gardens and found in every plant that grows upon this earth. There are lessons still to be learned that God has yet to whisper to us through the sounding boards of His own creation. What an infinite palette He has given us to work with. With them, He feeds those who are hungry and makes our lives better in so many ways. How much greater could we have been blessed?

After the storm has passed, I like to stroll out into the gardens. Everything is made fresh and new after the dust has been washed from their leaves and each root has soaked up its fill of life giving water. I like how the sunlight sparkles through the water droplets on the leaves and flowers after a good rain. It’s as if in their joy, each plant reflects the brilliant flashes of the love of God outward for all to see. For through the abundance of His blessing, we can see more plainly the exceeding love and goodness of our God.

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Give Thanks to the God of Creation

 

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.            1 Thessalonians 5:18

All you, who call yourselves believers in Christ, give thanks to your God. For He has blessed you far beyond any earthly measure

Cultivate a thankful spirit within your life, so that you might honor Him who dwells above the heavens. Yet, who also makes a home within our hearts

Look unto the grandness of His creation. Observe the stars of our Milky Way, the wonder of the Sun, and the beauty of the yellow Moon as it rises softly in the east

Give thanks to Him who spoke them all into existence

He arranged them just so, with the stroke of a master artist touch. In such fine precision and alignment, man’s greatest minds are speechless in wonder

Give thanks to God for creating this wondrous Earth. Who placed it within the perfect swirl, within a swirl, within a swirl…

How awesome are the assemblage of elements here. So stirring the sunrise, and so bright the cloudless sky. All the colors that the rainbow gives, dwell richly all across the world

Give thanks to our God for the fullness of His provision that sustains our lives. It has all been bestowed to us through His loving generosity and by the awesome work of His hands

Give thanks! Be thankful in all things. Try and recall all the blessings He has placed into your life

Bow before Him and speak prayers filled with thanksgiving. Sing songs overflowing from a joyful spirit

Give thanks to the God who loves you. For He has given you life and health, and filled all of your days with hope

The God of the universe is awesome and powerful. He dwells in inapproachable light. Purely righteous are all His ways, yet, He is filled with an infinite love towards us

He once cast off all of His heavenly glory and made Himself as a man, Jesus Christ. He dwelt on earth as a humble servant to mankind; though He was actually our King, our God, and our Creator

He went as far as to sacrifice His life and die upon a torturer’s wooden cross. So that we might know the taste, feel, and incredible blessing of salvation unto eternal life

Give your greatest thanks to our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Who stepped into time and this good creation and altered the course of history, forever

Give thanks for His goodness, mercy, and grace.

Praise Him for His Spirit, who dwells within every heart who believes Christ lives. For the Spirit helps guide all our paths towards salvation

Let all mankind be filled with thanksgiving; for our God is good.  1/15/2006

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Great And Awesome Is Our God

Half Dome at sunset

How could I describe the greatness of God? What words would I use, or form of speech, that might accurately portray Him?

For He is great and awesome!

When I look upon this creation I am left speechless in wonder. For it testifies in ways I can only marvel at, and speaks a language that moves me from deep within.

The great rock masses raised high into mountains, convey to me as a deep reverberation, His greatness and majesty

The winds tear at their flanks, but cannot move them. They rush and roar, yet, they do not even disturb them.

These great heights of creation are but nothing in comparison to God’s glory. They are less than the dust beneath His feet. Even the sum of all earthly mountains, would be measured as next to nothing, if placed beside Him.

He formed this Earth, and crafted each lofty summit. Each one is known by Him. But He, is greater than all He has made.

For there are at least a million summits upon this earth, and a billion, trillion, million planets where countless summits rise. He calls each of them by name. His Spirit has touched each one throughout the course of one of our days.

Oh what an awesome God is ours. Our maker and provider. The One who loves us beyond measure.

How I treasure the thought of our Lord, and thirst for the touch of His presence.

I was made from the dust of the mountains, which has been melting off their slopes for endless eons of time. What a wonder is creation, yet far beyond, are the incredible workings of God.

Glory in His presence. Worship His holy name. Call out to Him wherever you may be, and hear His awesome response.   9/12/2007

 

 

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Chlorophyll

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life”.  John 8:12

There is a substance found within plants that is one of the greatest miracles in all of creation. It is called chlorophyll, one of the key components that sustains life here on Earth. You may know it as the stuff within plants that makes them green. God created chlorophyll to be the pathway for the energy of sunlight to become incorporated into the substance of life. It allows plants to convert sunlight into the basic materials used by all living things. When sunlight shines on a plant, the chlorophyll within its leaves is activated and begins a complex chemical process called photosynthesis that forms sugars and gives off oxygen. How wonderful then is chlorophyll, for in every breath we take and with each bite of food we eat, it has provided us through its life sustaining qualities.

 

The sun is the light source of our planet, but Jesus is the light of life for all mankind. Many times in the Gospels, Jesus refers to Himself as the one who brings light into the world, who casts away darkness, and shines forth the light of God. His light is truth and righteousness, it exposes the hidden things of darkness. The light of Christ gives eternal life to all who dwell within its brightness and glory. Those who follow Him are called ‘children of the light’.

A substance is found within some people called faith. Faith is like the chlorophyll found in plants, because it enables us to soak up the light of God. It makes manifest the life of Jesus Christ within us. Producing for all the world, the products of His light. These are good works, love, righteousness, healing, and all forms of the personality of God. Faith is a miracle in the spiritual world, just as chlorophyll is a miracle in the created world. It is not of our doing, but the reaction of our hearts and minds to the revelation of God through His Word, His Spirit, and His Son. As He shines these upon our lives, many scurry off into the shadows away from this light. But some, walk out into the open, and there, receive the full brilliance of God’s light. When God’s love is mixed with our faith, we are changed and forgiven; healed and made new by God’s power and grace. Praise be to our God and to His Son, Jesus Christ.

Every plant requires light to survive. Most need it in abundance. As children of God, we should be careful not to shade ourselves from His light. Unlike plants, we have legs that can carry us far away from the light of God. We can entangle and cover ourselves with things that deflect His life from shining down upon us. This is harmful, and slows down the process of sharing His love abroad. Therefore, nurture your faith. Remain in His light, as He is in the light; polish your leaves; remove the dark shrouds; take in as much light, knowledge, and power as you are able and your light will become as a beacon for all who come near.