Anybody that knows me well knows that I love nature. I love the quiet moments sitting next to a bubbling brook or gazing at the stars at night. My love for nature has been a part of my life ever since I was really little, but recently, God put it on my heart to ask why. Why do certain things in nature mean so much to me? Earlier this month, I made a list of all the things that bring me so much joy and peace, and what each thing represents to me.
-Water – Order & Chaos Combined
-Sky – Endless Possibilities
-Stars – Hope
-Birds – Freedom
-Mountains – Stability & Strength
Looking back at my life and why I love these things so much I can see that all of these things mean so much to me because they bring me peace and point me to God. Even when life is crazy, my heart is hurting, or I am confused, these five things always bring me peace. I can remember many a night back at home when I was stressed or frustrated about something and I would just step outside and look up at the stars, and in 15 minutes or so, it would all be okay. In the same way, if I was having a bad day and a I heard a bird singing, it would literally make my day. And I love the feeling of peace that comes from just taking in the sight of water, sky, or the mountains.
There is nothing magical about water, sky, stars, birds, or mountains. They are just created things. What is special about them is what I have learned to associate each of those things with. As I was writing this list, I started thinking, why these things? Why not something else in nature like trees, flowers, fish, or horses? And then God revealed to me that I love those five things so much because, to me, they each represent a different attribute of God. I find peace in each one of those things because they point me back to a truth of God’s character that each one of those things represent.
Order & Chaos combined – Only God can create order and chaos combined. Humans are excellent at creating order. And we are excellent at creating chaos. But creating order and chaos together in a way that completely complements the other is something that only God can do. After all, this is who He is: order and chaos combined. God is so beautifully orderly and predictable: He is good, loving, faithful, and holy. But He is also chaotic: He does things that do not make sense to us and defies the boxes we put Him in. He is the perfect example of order and chaos combined, so it makes sense that He would be able to create it in something so amazing as an abounding ocean, a raging river, or even a tricking stream.
Endless possibilities – Our God is a God of endless possibilities; nothing is impossible for Him. What we see as incredibly difficult, complex, or even impossible, is all possible to God. My brother once explained it this way to me and it made so much sense to my brain: We, humans, are four-dimensional beings living in a three-dimensional world. In additional to the physical three-dimensional body we abide in, we also have a spirit that God placed inside of us which makes us four-dimensional. God is beyond four dimensions; He is God after all. Just as we are able to easily manipulate and change two-dimensional things (such as a piece of paper) in our three-dimensional world, God is easily able to change things in this three-dimensional world. And since we are four-dimensional beings, when we partner with God, we too are able to change things in this three-dimensional world. So why should we think that anything is impossible with God?
Hope – It doesn’t take long living in this world to realize that it is pretty hopeless. We are born and we die. We must suffer to experience joy. And even when we achieve the best that humans create, it is very quickly found lacking. But with God, all of that changes! The Bible says that God knew us before we were born and when we cease from living on this earth, it is really just the beginning of eternal life. While suffering will always be a part of this life, Jesus suffered for us so that we can experience joy that doesn’t come at the price of suffering. And He offers us freedom, love, and a beautiful relationship with Himself that is never found lacking. With God, this hopeless world quickly becomes a place full of hope.
Freedom – Whether we realize it or not, without God, we are all slaves. We all serve many masters: fear, anger, lust, idolatry, greed, depression. And then to help ourselves feel less like we are serving these masters, we serve other masters: drugs, alcohol, sex, wealth, entertainment. But either way it is all still bondage. However, with God, there is freedom from all this! God loves us completely, meets all our needs, and gives us the power to overcome these masters. When we choose to serve God instead of these other things, we become his servants. But Jesus says that He does not call us His servants, but His friends, so we are completely free!
Stability & Strength – Every single person puts their trust in something that we believe is strong, whether or not we realize it: a stable economy, keeping a good job, or even that the sun will rise in the morning. But when these things fail us, we realize what we had our trust in. For example, everyone trusts that their houses will be strong and keep them safe. But when an earthquake comes, it destroys everything that they know to be strong. I can imagine how the destruction of what we assumed would always be strong and protect us would have grievous psychological repercussions. However, God’s strength and stability never fails! He is always faithful and a safe place to turn to for protection.
There is a popular Christian song that begins with the words, “I look up to the mountains. Does my strength come from the mountains? No. My strength comes from God who made heaven and earth and the mountains.” I love the water, sky, stars, birds, and mountains, but they are not my source. They bring me peace because of the attributes of God that they represent to me and God is the one who ultimately brings me peace.
After reading this, I want you to ask yourself two things. The first is, What speaks to me in nature? It could be trees, wide open fields, mountains, or even skyscrapers. Whatever it may be, ask yourself why. Why do these things mean so much to me? What do they represent to me? And the second question is, What do I put my trust in? Be honest with yourself, at the end of the day, what in your life, if it failed, would wreck you and leave you doubting everything? It could be your job, your marriage, the economy, or ever the continuance of life of a loved one. Whatever it may be, if you put your trust in it, to some extent, it is your source. And are you willing to let go of your trust in these things and completely trust God, the one who will never fail, and let Him be your one and only source?
