The Glory of God in Creation

St Thérèse of Lisieux said: "I was between six and seven when I saw the sea for the first time. I could not turn away my eyes: its majesty, the roaring of the waves, the whole vast spectacle impressed me deeply and spoke to my soul of God's power and greatness."

Hello wonderful ladies,

For this month’s Women of the Word Journal, I would like to share some of my musings on creation and how I enjoy seeking God’s beauty. I hope that I can encourage and inspire you to take some time out, to pause for a moment in your busy day and to contemplate the glory of God.

David begins Psalm 19 with these words: The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. The world around us, all of creation, attests to the fact that there is a creator God and reveals just a small hint, a reflection of the unfathomable glory, majesty and splendour of our king.

I love travelling! I love visiting and exploring new places, different countries and different landscapes. I have always had a desire in me, a thirst to see the world. I have been fortunate enough to have travelled and to have studied Physical Geography. I was and continue to be amazed by the physical processes of our incredible world. When I became a Christian I realised that this thirst to see creation is God given. The joy I find in exploring the world is a gift from God, seeing creation in all of its beauty and glory does my soul good. It gives me a taste of the beauty and glory of our God and it stirs my heart to worship.

I’ve recently returned from a holiday with my family in Snowdonia, I was struck afresh by the wonder of being able to enjoy the outdoors, to explore a new place, different landscapes and people. Having ‘time out’ from the busyness of normal life gave me a chance to slow down and appreciate once more God’s glory.  I want more of this in my every day!

I am a big fan of the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. She invites us (among many other gems!) ‘to slow down and catch God in the moment.’

In her book, she describes a moment in her busy life, getting supper ready for her 6 children, when her husband makes her stop and look up to see a beautiful harvest moon out of the window. She runs out of her house to chase after the beauty of the moon, taking time to stop and appreciate God in that moment. She writes ‘The whole earth is full of His glory. Sky, land and sea, heavy and saturated with God – why do I always forget?’

It is so easy to be distracted by ‘stuff’ in our lives.  We can become disheartened and downcast by the cares and pressures of the world. When we hear the news there is so much that is negative, which is wrong in the world. God created a perfect world and much has changed since then! But God hasn’t changed. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

His creation still reveals His incredible creativity, His sense of humour (have you seen a naked mole rat?), His incredible attention to detail and love for the world and each of His creatures.

What about you? What stirs your heart to worship? Can I encourage you to take some time out of your day or week to slow down and contemplate the glory of God? Spend time in His word, engage in bible journaling. Come before Him in prayer, in sung worship, through serving others.

Psalm 104 is a beautiful description of God the creator. If you have a few more minutes free, why not spend some time reading and reflecting on these words.