The heavens declare the glory of God

Shackleford Banks, N.C.

"The heavens declare the glory of God ..." the psalmist wrote. No where is this more evident than from high places on the earth, looking down upon the vast plain or upon the wild ocean.

God's majesty is also proclaimed perfectly when standing under a big deep blue sky with puffy white clouds skidding across the expanse in unseen winds.

Raptor Center, Pueblo, CO

The heavens declare God's glory on the seemingly endless prairie with the breeze riffling through the grasses. In all that vast space, a small bug clings to the tip of a strand of grass hoping to gain a meal.

God's majesty is proclaimed in an eagle circling overhead, gliding on the winds, calling out some message in unknown tongue.

The heavens declare the glory of  God on the sandy beaches, in the ocean depths, the starry night, the winds of a hurricane, the vastness of space, the twinkling stars, among the planets, in the sounds of the wind in the tree tops. The heavens declare God's glory in the heat of the sun shining down, warming the earth and propagating life.

Florrisant, Colorado

The heavens declare God's glory when my dog snuggles down by my feet warming them with the softness of his fur. It is declared in the care of a mammal for its young. The heavens declare God's glory in the perfect little fingers and toes of an infant; in the happy smile of a baby when he or she recognizes a parent or other loved one. The glory of God is declared in the perfect love of a man and woman; in the love of a mother for her infant. It is declared in the love of a father for his crippled child.

God's glory is declared everywhere. We need only to bend our ear to the gentle whispers of God's spirit by believing that God exists and that he loved us enough to die for us.

God's glory is declared in a planted seed that, when the time and conditions are right, springs forth into a plant that yields the beauty of a flower or the plump red juiciness of a tomato or other fruit or vegetable. God's glory is declared in the song of the nightingale as it bids good night to the weary earth.

Indian Paintbrush

God's glory is declared in the rhythmic beating of the sea as its waves crash on the shore and stay within their boundaries according to the tides.

What is God's glory? According to Wesleyan theologian M. Robert Mullholland, "'Glory' is the translation of a Greek word that represents the essential characteristics or nature of a person or thing that makes them who they are. Thus the 'glory' of God is God's very nature, the essence of who God is."*

We can learn a lot about God through nature. What have you learned?



*From The Deeper Journey: The Spirituality of Discovering Your True Self, M. Robert Mulholland, Jr., IVP Books, 2006.