This Is Your Nature

Psalm 19:1-3 - The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. 

At last. A hint of real spring! I filled the bird feeders, grabbed my Bible and sat outside to relish the warm breeze, hear the sound of a gentle water feature we have and listen to the birds as they eagerly munched away and proclaimed their delight in more food.

As I sat there I praised God for all of this. The colors, the textures, sounds, fragrances...even the anxious dog frantically barking somewhere nearby. 

Nature is defined in two ways: The characteristics of human life and the characteristics of those living things among us. Amazing.

We are told that all of creation glorifies God; it reveals God's creative nature. It exemplifies His vast imagination. All the colors and textures. All the variety of fragrances and sounds. All created by one powerful and sovereign God. Who can dismiss the existence of a Divine Creator? It's all too great and mysterious.

He has brought all this into existence for His own pleasure. But there's more. He brought us into existence for His own great pleasure, too. He loves us so much that He has given us His best. Can't you see it when you look out a window or walk in a park?

Speaking of which, He also gave us His best when He came down from His throne and lived on earth with us in the person of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! He gave us His best so that we might believe in Him and receive Him into our lives.

His human creation failed Him. And He knew He had to do something about that. He is holy and cannot be in the presence of our sinful nature. We were cut off from entering into His presence. 

Yet look at what He still does for us...He still provides us His nature in nature. We don't deserve all this. Just like He has given us His son that our sins might be forgiven. We don't deserve that either.

I hear the gurgling sound of the water nearby and think of Jesus as our Living Water. He is a wellspring of life. He is our refreshing...when we know Him as our own Lord and Savior. We cannot live without water. Neither can any living thing we see outside. 

Now go a step further, life is in the blood. Without blood we cannot exist. Just as we cannot exist without blood in the natural neither can we live without blood in the spiritual. We all need the cleansing power of Jesus' blood for our eternal life. Leviticus 17:11 tells us, For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. This may be Old Testament, God speaking to Moses, but consider it as Jesus' words to you. 

Nature has much to show us...and tell us. Our lives imitate nature. God is in control of all. We have our own seasons of life. He brings life in this world, He brings life to all living things and He causes all the seasons to rise and wane. Our lives come to an end as does nature. Can you grasp all this? It's amazing.

If He cares so much about us, why shouldn't we regard Him with the love that is due Him? How can we go a day without thinking of Him, seeking Him, seeing His nature in what we view as we live each day? His nature surrounds us in what we view and as we realize the Divine power of His creativity. When you take notice of a sunset or clouds, or storms and lightening, or flowers and trees, consider them as God's qualities, His nature. It's here all for us...that we might realize Him.

Psalm 36:5-7 - Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep. O LORD, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.