It’s summer and many of us are going on summer vacations. From the mountains to the valleys, to the oceans white with foam, and all the way to Iceland — everyone’s photos have been amazing! I’m a fan of nature!
The Bible says no one has an excuse. The creation shouts of the Creator. The creation is full of lessons if we just open our eyes and ears!
In the Olympic National Forest there is a place called the Hoh Rainforest. One of the cool things we saw in the Hoh were trees that had been knocked over. Dead trees. But right out of them grew another tree, or even several trees. The dead tree acted as a nursery and supported the new tree’s growth.
Right here closer to home at Natural Falls State Park, you will find a tree literally growing out of a big rock. And if you do a float trip on the Buffalo River, you will see trees putting out an impressive root system so they can stay connected with the water.
In my own backyard there is a sunflower. I planted a pot with seeds in the spring. The pots don’t have the best drainage, so when the late spring rains came my pots were flooded. I thought maybe the seedlings had drowned, but nope! They kept pushing up toward the sun. They were much taller when the big wind storm came, and several of the slender stalks were really bent, almost snapped in two. I fought the urge to pluck them, and wouldn’t you know!? Those stalks were the first to flower!
Adversity. Trouble. Hardship. Difficulty. The creation, whether human or in nature, will always be surrounded by it!
I find the question Thomas asked Jesus familiar. “Lord we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)
Lord, I don’t know where you’re going with this death in my family. I don’t know where you’re taking me with this emotional drought and rocky way. Through these floods of problems and winds of uncertainty. How am I supposed to know the way, after life has knocked me down and drowned me?
Jesus answered Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Which means to me, there is a wrong way. A lie. And death.
Adversity. The Adversary brings it. He’s the dead end. He’s the lie. He’s death. But he loves for us to point the blaming finger at Jesus.
I’m so thankful our Creator has overcome this world’s troubles and adversity. He’s overcome death itself! I’m thankful He whispers and sometimes even shouts it, through His nature.
So get out there! There’s no excuse! Open your eyes and ears. Even if it’s just in your own backyard, the creation is waiting to show you the Creator!