God Speaks through His Creation

Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

You and I have been given the invaluable gift of communication with God. Last week we learned about the process of making the soil of our hearts soft and receptive to God. This week we’ll learn some different ways to receive the seed of his word. May your communion with God flourish as you engage in continual conversation with your loving, present heavenly Father.

Scripture: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” Romans 1:20

Devotional:

Nature has an ability to bring me peace in a way nothing else does. Sure I get annoyed by bugs or tired from hiking. But seeing the beauty, creativity, and complexity of what God has made has had a profound effect on my spiritual life. Have you ever just spent some time in God’s creation? Maybe it was hiking, lying on the beach, swimming in an ocean or a lake, fishing, gazing over the grand canyon, driving through the mountains, watching a thunderstorm or just playing in the rain. Take a minute to reflect on that time and what you felt. Looking back, do think you might have felt God’s presence? Did the awe and wonder of nature’s splendor bring you peace, or even lead you to thoughts about God?

The more I’ve come to know God the more there has grown in me an adoration and appreciation for his creation. Romans 1:20 states that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” Nature is meant to declare to us the “invisible attributes” of God. And Scripture is clear that God is at work in his creation—maintaining and facilitating all that happens in the world. Psalm 147:8-9, 15-18 tells us,

He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry... He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.

When you see animals eating, you are witnessing God’s provision in the earth and can, as a result, know that he will provide for you. When you see snow fall, ice form, and springtime come to melt away the cold you can know that God is at work around you and in your life. To miss out on all creation speaks to us is to miss an important part of God’s voice.

You see, while God does an incredible job taking care of a world wrought with the effects of sin, he promises to take care of you even more. Jesus commands us in Matthew 6:26-30,

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Jesus teaches us to look upon creation and listen as it declares to us the nature of God. In fact, he commands us to do so. You can look at the grass of the field and know of God’s unwavering faithfulness for you. You can look at the birds and never wonder if you will get your next meal. Nature declares to us that God has and will provide for us all of our days. Nature tells us not to worry because God is both powerful and near. Nature tells us that God is creative, practical, brilliant, loving, and full of mystery and wonder. Nature tells us that God speaks.

God created the cosmos so that you might have another mysterious yet clear way of hearing his voice. Whether you live in the city or country, look upon God’s creation and listen for his voice. Ask him what he wants you to know as you see all the wonders of his hands. Let the beauty and mystery of all of God’s creation fill you with a deeper longing to know your heavenly Father. Listen to God today and allow your heart to be stirred as you discover his unwavering desire to speak to you through his creation.

Guided Prayer:

1. Take some time to go out in God’s creation.

2. Now ask God what he wants to tell you through his creation. Let him speak in whatever way he desires.

"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." Romans 1:20

3. Meditate on the truth he reveals to your heart and take some time to rest in his presence.

As children of an infinite, paradoxical God we must learn to embrace and value mystery. God longs to speak through his creation. He longs to satisfy your longing for fascination as you ponder the mystery and beauty of that which we will never fully understand. May you hear the loving voice of the Father today as you allow the Creator to speak through his creation.

Extended Reading: Psalm 19

 Lord, I Love You, but...

 Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 6:10-12

Most of us are quick to declare our love for God, but at times our reluctance to serve Him tells a different story. Honestly consider whether you have ever found yourself saying or thinking, I love you, Lord, but don't call me to do that! Or perhaps you served Him, but with a flawed attitude: If no one else will do it, then I guess I will. What causes us to be reluctant servants?

Busyness: Sometimes our schedules are so full that there's no space to follow the Lord when we hear Him calling us to minister in a certain area. We all need "margins" in our lives if we want to abide in God's will.

Inadequacy: Perhaps you feel unqualified to serve, and you're thinking, Surely there's someone more gifted who could do that job. But that's just an excuse; the Lord promises to equip those He calls (2 Cor. 3:4-6).

Selfishness: Sacrificial service is never convenient. It may require that we change our plans, give up our comforts, or even make financial sacrifices.

Lack of love: This is the hardest for us to admit—that we just don't care enough. Our reluctance to serve others reveals a lack of devotion to the Lord. Those who love Christ with all their heart will joyfully serve Him by ministering to those in their families, workplaces, communities, and churches.

Are you quick to follow the Lord's leading when a need arises, or are you a reluctant servant who's preoccupied with your own plans and desires? Any service we offer in Jesus' name will not be in vain. You'll experience the joy of giving and the assurance that the Lord won't forget your sacrifice.

How To Receive the Gift You Feel Like You Don't Deserve... AMY CARROLL

 How To Receive the Gift You Feel Like You Don't Deserve

AMY CARROLL 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

Ouch! What was that? I wondered as my right hand grazed my left in the warm, soapy water in the sink.

I pulled my left hand up to see what had caused the sudden jab. As my searching eyes landed on my ring finger, I gasped in horror. A sharp prong pointed to the empty space where the center stone of my engagement ring had sparkled for over 30 years. It was gone.

“What’s wrong?” Barry, my husband, asked when he saw my panicked searching.

Through the sob in my throat, I answered, “The diamond you gave me is gone.”

Memories of the day Barry proudly slipped the ring on my finger repeated in a devastating spin cycle. He, a teacher, had dug deep into his salary to purchase the ring, and three decades later, it was still my most treasured possession. That stone represented Barry’s deep love, full commitment and sacrifice.

I hunted for it endlessly, sweeping under furniture and scouring my walking route. While I looked, I wrestled with shame. Why did I neglect to have those prongs checked? It’s all my fault.

Weeks went by, and our anniversary approached. The day before, Barry laid out his plans to me. “Before we go to dinner, we’re going to the jewelry store to find a replacement stone for your ring!” he said with excitement.

I sat in stunned silence before I tearfully protested. “No,” I cried. “I lost the first one you gave me. I don’t deserve a new one.”

Barry folded me into his arms. “I love you, and I’m excited to give you this gift.” How his blue eyes sparkled as he gave me the present of a new stone for my original ring!

When I think about the gift of salvation, I imagine Jesus saying the same thing to us: “I love you, and I’m excited to give you this gift!” Jesus Himself is described as our Bridegroom. (Matthew 9:14-15) He offers each of us the priceless jewel of salvation, which leads to an incomparable life of close, loving relationship with God. It’s a gift of grace — the undeserved favor of God — through our faith in Jesus.

Paul describes it this way in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

None of us deserve Jesus’ precious gift of salvation because none of us are perfect. No matter how hard we try on our own, we’ve all done bad things, carried awful motives and harmed others. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV, emphasis added). Every human needs to be rescued from themselves.

Although each of us can honestly say, “That’s a gift I don’t deserve,” Jesus paid for our salvation with deep love, full commitment and the ultimate sacrifice. He gave His life to buy our rescue, and He offers it to each of us with great joy (and, I think, a sparkle in His eyes)!

Receiving the gift simply requires what I envision as a turn and a walk. We turn away from our sin and walk to a life of following Jesus.

I still haven’t found the original stone that was lost (although I still hold out hope!). But every time I catch the glint of the new one, I remember my husband’s grace and love. It has become a reminder of another gift, one even more precious, that I don’t deserve: salvation. A gift of grace and love … a gift available to all of us.

Lord Jesus, although I don’t deserve it, I long for the gift of salvation You want to give me. I turn away from my sin and toward You. I believe, and I give myself to You, Jesus, the One who loves me. Thank You for the priceless gift You give me! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Prayer to See the Beauty All Around Me..... By: Kristine Brown

 A Prayer to See the Beauty All Around Me

By: Kristine Brown

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV)

We drove through the scenic backroads to our favorite getaway cabin. Our annual trip to view fall foliage is my favorite tradition, and I couldn’t wait to spend the next few days taking in the beauty of the changing leaves. I anticipated the solitude as I planned to sit on the porch reading a book with a steaming cup of coffee in hand.

To my surprise, the view that awaited us at the cabin was not at all what I expected. A storm had ripped through the night before, leaving the once colorful trees bare and lifeless. My heart ached as I realized we’d missed what once was beautiful.

Ecclesiastes chapter 3 is a poetic reminder of the importance of every season in our lives. The first few verses remind us that we will all go through both difficult and joyful times. Then, verse 11 gives us hope beyond what we see right in front of us. The hope only found through faith in our amazing Creator. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Everything made by God is beautiful, even if we can’t see it in the moment. He works all things together to achieve His great purpose. So when we look around and see nothing but barrenness, we can know the beauty is there, waiting to be revealed according to God’s perfect timing.

As I relaxed on the porch during our trip and took in the view, I realized I didn’t need the changing leaves to experience God’s creation. I could still see beauty all around me: in the time spent with my husband, in the warmth of the fireplace, in the crisp, cool mornings. Each blessing gently reminding me of the hope I have in God. He makes everything beautiful.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your beautiful creation. Your Word says, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16) When my circumstances look hopeless, help me to see the beauty of everything created by you, through you, and for you.

Lord, in seasons when I struggle to find anything beautiful, reveal those blessings you want me to see. I know that even in the darkest times, something glorious is waiting to burst forth in splendor. I can get so caught up in my circumstances that I forget to keep my eyes on you. But when I look at the world as your creation, I see things differently. Instead of despair, I find hope. Instead of pain, I discover beauty.

Forgive me for letting difficult seasons cloud my view of your goodness. Even when the situation looks bleak, there is still beauty to be found all around me. Thank you for giving me a renewed view and helping me to remember that your timing is perfect.

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Unhappiness: A Tempting Choice?..... by Sarah Phillips

 Unhappiness: A Tempting Choice?

by Sarah Phillips

"And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Acts 13:52

"Always be happy. I see you out there with your solemn faces and hands folded like this, and perhaps you think this is holiness. This sad, solemn-ness is not really holiness. Always be happy wherever you go; God is good."

These are words spoken by a priest from India at a recent retreat. No doubt, this priest is well-versed in the theology of redemptive suffering, so his words gave me pause. What does he mean by this? Is it even possible to be happy like this?

Later, in a discussion with my father, he mentioned that family counselors like my stepmother often encounter challenging clients who are married to their unhappiness. In other words, these individuals are so comfortable with their misery and dysfunction (born out of very real hurts, no doubt) they don't even want to be happy anymore.

Pondering all this has rearranged some of my thinking on faith and happiness.

Perhaps you've heard this common saying in Christian circles: "God doesn't promise us happiness here on earth." From what I've encountered in my studies of the Bible and theology, the statement is factual.

I used to interpret this fact as an indication that God just doesn't have happiness in his plans for some (and I was likely one of those people, right?). But as I am reflecting on Fr. Andrew's words and my stepmother's clients, it hits me. Perhaps God doesn't promise happiness because it's not his place to give it. In other words, perhaps happiness is part of God's plan, but it's something we also must choose on our end.

Think about it. Have you ever met that person who "has everything" but isn't happy? I knew a person like that. He possessed uncommon intelligence. He had a loving family, wealth, and opportunity. But he seemed gifted at finding the dark side to everything. And I mean everything. He suffered from incredible cynicism and depression. Let's put the possibility of a chemical imbalance aside for a second and ponder this truth: God has the power to bless us, but it's up to us to be happy about it.

I don't say these things to cause pain or make anyone feel guilty for not feeling happy. Trust me, I've had plenty of dark periods where happiness seemed like a joke. I firmly believe it's okay to feel unhappy sometimes. Jesus didn't always feel good either, and it's safe to say there was nothing wrong with him.

Still, it's important to remember that there is a danger in wallowing in darkness for too long. There is a great temptation to become attached to our sadness, our victim-hood. Our cross, instead of drawing us closer to life in Christ, ends up bringing us closer to spiritual death when we do this.

In his book The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis explores this idea that we can become too attached to our brokenness. He sets up a fictional scenario where souls in hell get a second chance at heaven. But they ultimately do not choose heaven - they can't even enjoy heaven - due to their excessive attachment to hell.

This seems downright crazy, but it's not any different than the clients my stepmom sees every week. And it's a very real trap we fall into every time we hold too tightly to our hurts and sorrows instead of releasing them to God.

Lewis warns, "If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell."

But then what do we do with all the bad things in life? Certainly, we will feel sorrow and loss - we should feel sorrow and loss when bad things happen. How then do we avoid getting trapped by tragedy? How do we let go of the comforts, the "intimate souvenirs," of life's little hells? Lewis has more to say about that, and I will end here to ponder his words:

"'Son,' he said, 'ye cannot in your present state understand eternity... That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, 'No future bliss can make up for it,' not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. And of some sinful pleasure they say 'Let me have but this and I'll take the consequences': little dreaming how damnation will spread back and back into their past and contaminate the pleasure of the sin. Both processes begin even before death. The good man's past begins to change so that his forgiven sins and remembered sorrows take on the quality of Heaven: the bad man's past already conforms to his badness and is filled only with dreariness. And that is why... the Blessed will say 'We have never lived anywhere except in Heaven,': and the Lost, 'We were always in Hell.' And both will speak truly."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Have you held on to unhappiness for too long? Is your sadness, guilt, anger, or bitterness tempting you to sin or obscuring your faith? Ask God to help you let go of destructive thoughts or behaviors.

Further Reading
1 Peter 1:8