That was final proof of the strength of nature to soothe, to clarify, to stabalize the tired and weary and upward-gazing soul. Stronger than the recorded deeds of saints, stronger than the eloquence of the gifted uplifters of men, stronger than any words ever written, was the grand, brooding, sculptured aspect of nature. And it must have been so because thousands of years before the age of saints or preachers—before the fret and symbol and figure were cut in stone—man must have watched with thought-developing sight the wonders of the earth, the monuments of time, the glooming of the dark-blue sea, the handiwork of God.”
–Zane Grey (The Call of the Canyon)
“He answered, ‘I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!'”
–Luke 19:40 (HCSB)
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Listen! Listen to the sound! My mercy, the roar is amazing–that is the sound of nature in praise to its Creator. This is not any New Age jibber jabber, mumble-jumbo, or codswallop. Sit near the sea and listen to the roar of the waves. Go to the forest, sit down on the cool earth and listen to the babbling of the book. Lean against a rock in the high mountains feeling the crisp, clean air and look at the windswept peaks. Watch the lilies bloom, the hawk screech, the wolf wail. A person just cannot get away from the glory of God.
I have often stood amazed wondering in His presence in the midst of His great cathedral. From the painted sands of the desert to the high lonesome to the deep canyons and gorges all declare His majesty. In His glorious craftsmanship the silence of His work sends a symphony proclaiming that He is God! You must take time to ponder and meditate on this portion of Scripture, Psalm 19:1-6 (HCSB). In fact, see how nature reacts during the crucifixion.
1 – The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.
2 – Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.
3 – There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard.
4 – Their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 – It is like a groom coming from the bridal chamber; it rejoices like an athlete running a course.
6 – It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat.
Someone has said that “the silence of the skies is deafening.” That is unless you get caught in one of those high country lightning and thunder storms. There the majesty and power of God is clearly evident. The skies, the heavens are there to remind us of the majesty of God. It’s a shame that the true meaning of the rainbow has been lost upon many people. Another thing that evil has tried to diminish and drag in the muck and mire, but the rainbow–the sign of the promise of God that He would never destroy the earth again by water. When you look at a rainbow what do you think of? Lepracauns and buckets of gold, or the treasure of God’s promise?
It is important to remember, and this is vital or you could get stumbles with the jibberish of the Cosmic Humanist, that man does not see God by looking at the sky or in other places in nature. He only sees the glory of God. God is not nature; it is a creation of His Word, “let there be…”. The Old Testament word for “glory” is the outward “clothing” of God. It did not hide or cover His “being,” rather it “revealed” His actions. My, my, what a God!! This is why Paul could declare, “For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20, HCSB)
No matter what happens, the heavens are there to remind us of God. There is a story where a leader of the French Revolution, Jean Bon St. Andre said to a peasant, “I will have all your steeples pulled down, so you will not be reminded any more of your old religion.” One of the goals of the French Revolution was to rid the country of Christianity. The peasant was said to reply, “But you cannot help leaving us the stars.” The heavens are always there; the stars, the moon, and the sun. They will always be there to tell us of His glory.
“The unwearied sun, from day to day
Does His Creator’s powers display,
And published to every land
The work of an Almighty hand.”
–Joseph Addison
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Today in the Texas Revolution: Santa Anna and his army arrive at Harrisburg.