From where I’m sitting this morning, I see the witness of the changing season. The tree that hedges my bedroom window is beginning to sharpen in color, while surrendering a leaf to the wind every few minutes. I could stare at it for hours. What rich beauty there is in monitoring God’s creation! How foolish I’d be to try and override his seasonal preferences. How presumptuous I’d be to keep the beauty all to myself.
This is my Father’s world. One walks in dangerous territory when one tries to take the reins away from him.
When we try to manipulate God’s creation by cutting off access to an ocean or to the color of fall so brilliantly displayed in his mountains or even to the ground where men laid down their lives for freedom, we’re walking a dangerous line. When control becomes an issue, God takes issue.
Who are we to play games with his waters, his trees, his land? With his words he spoke them into existence. With his words he can easily remove them. What must he think of our posturing and our pride?
How foolish we are. How bold we’ve become. Little gods running around, idols fresh off the assembly line from the factory of Man Knows Best, all the while under the watchful eyes of the God who knows best and who must (if he is prone to laughter and tears) both chuckle and cry at the absurdity of it all.
He is not unfamiliar with this script. He’s read it before, seen it play itself out on the stage of history time and again. Man trying to control one another; man trying to control God. And while the former might actually come to fruition on occasion, the latter will fail every time. Man cannot take away from God what has always belonged to him.
This is my Father’s world. And while our view of it might currently be limited by barricades and police officers, God sees it all. No one, no law, no amount of power and pride can block his view. From his vantage point, it is clear what we’ve become.
We’re no longer one nation under One God but, instead, many nations serving many gods. Let’s be honest. Let’s call it for what it is. We’re a fractured people, broken down and woefully off track from our beginnings.
I cannot change the climate in our nation’s capital today, any more than I can amend the hearts of mankind. But I can pray for the climate and amendment of my own heart, and I can do so while surrounded by the seasonal witness of a fall tree that isn’t affected by the seasonal shifts of man’s need to control it.
Together, the tree and I and our Creator will work it through. It’s enough to carry me forward, maybe even enough to carry you as well. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the foolishness of man today, might I encourage you to find a window view or find an undisturbed, unmonitored path in your community and take a walk with the Father in his world? What you will find there will make sense to your heart and bring peace to your spirit.
May the rich and certain witness of fall be the rich and certain witness of God’s enduring, unchanging, and formidable strength in your life. He sees from above what man is trying to prevent from below. Nothing can block us from his view.
Peace for the journey,
Sometimes the only thing that consoles me about the state of our country, our culture, our world is the sure knowledge that all of history is leading to its God-ordained *Revelation* culmination. I have a feeling that things will have to get worse before He returns.
So, I totally agree with you – when man tries to dictate and control, havoc ensues.
That is when I tend to look at the sky more intently – both literally and in a spiritual sense. The beauty of the heavens speaks to me – of His creation, and of His promise that He WILL return in the clouds one day.
GOD BLESS!
What wonderful thoughts here today! I wish all our nation could/would read what you have written. It is all so very true. Love how you can always just get right down to the issue at hand and be so good at taking it apart and revealing how we as mankind are acting and how we measure up…or fall short as may be…to what God would want us to do.
God bless you my Faith-ful friend!
Ues, we can pray. we can always pray.
I love this post, Elaine. You are right…we can pray. That is the powerful answer to today’s mess. I have a strange, yet wonderful peace in the midst of it all, Elaine. Perhaps my ongoing study, with my small group, of the book of The Revelation is the reason for it. I see how God has a plan to bring all of the pride, all of the evil, all of the idolatry to an end. And in the end, the ruling, reigning Messiah will renew Eden and we will live with Him forever. Today’s struggles will be no more. So, I trust His heart. I trust that whatever goes on today, He knows about it and He will take care of it.
Amen…beautifully written…
Yes, Elaine — walking with the Creator in His world soothes the mind and soul like nothing else. So glad we can always turn to Him for peace, wisdom, and joy.
wifeforthejourney:
I’m sure there are some who will not really pay attention to the content and context of this post. They’ll see the word “government” in the title and just register “politics” in their minds. Thanks for taking us deeper than the 24 hour news cycle. It is good to be reminded of the needs of my own heart, and to tend to my relationship with God regardless of what is happening in the world around us.
Love you,
Billy
While reading this post, I almost felt like I was on a respite from all the turmoil going on in our world today. Yes, it is my Father’s world and what a timely reminder. Thank you Elaine!
Blessings and love,
Debbie
What I find myself thinking about as darkness claims larger chunks of our culture, is that I no longer have any trouble understanding why God would caution us from making friends with the world. I find His world (the one your tree heralds) much more to my liking. I am increasingly more content with simplicity, with quiet, with seeking & savoring the contentment in every moment. This world has nothing that even approximates such things.
As always, you’ve penned a powerful summons to be still, and know.
Couldn’t have been said better. I too have been craving meyFather’s nature, His fingerprint of comfort that reminds He is with us and in control. Thank you!
Oh, yes, dear friend… I’m with you in all that you wrote. Your post was powerful and I could feel the passion in your words. God is the Sovereign One, and must really find man’s puny effort at self aggrandizement pitiful. Yet how kind of Him that He doesn’t demean us, or belittle us… I imagine He is grieved, as he sees the picture of what the world has become. It is a wonderful privilege for me to be experiencing the season of fall first hand. We do not have this awesome beauty back where I come from… Now, for a few months here in beautiful Virginia, God is speaking to me of how beautiful heaven must be. Like you, I cannot have enough of the beauty that surrounds me – yes, even the leaves on the ground as I take a walk around the neighborhood, the bikeway trails, the sidewalks in the historic downtown of this city… Makes my heart long for what only my Father can offer. Certainly a far cry from what this world pursues and craves for.