Sara J. Mikkelson
Have you been having a difficult day? Or one of those weeks where everything just seems to go wrong? Bad things happen in our sin-cursed world, ranging from small disappointments to major tragedies and everything in between. Tensions build, injustice happens, and time moves mercilessly forward. It doesn’t take long to realize that something is terribly wrong in our world – that thing is sin. When mankind originally chose to rebel against God, sin entered into the world and death by sin . . . and yet, for some reason we’re all given a second chance at eternal, joy-filled life. Because of our Creator’s great love for us, we are given hope.
When you are hurting and seeking hope and healing, where do you go to find it? There are many different people, places, or things you could turn to in troubling times, but my top resorts to turn to are the Bible, the created natural world, and music. The natural created beauty in the world all around us vividly illustrates the character of God revealed in the Bible. Just as Romans 1:20 puts it, “for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made so that they are without excuse”.
A stunning sunset can remind us of the beautiful rest we can have in Christ. An awesome thunderstorm can remind us of God’s justice and mighty power. The vast, deep ocean or jungle, just waiting to be explored, can draw us to explore the vastness and depth of Who God is. Steady stars in the night sky can be beacons of God’s faithful, unchanging nature that reaches far beyond our grasp and is far bigger than we can comprehend. There’s a reason why the book of Job, the account of a man who suffered a lot of sudden loss, is one of the books of the Bible that talks about the natural created world the most. Yes, creation is full of brokenness, just like every one of us, but it can still be used to help us visualize more of Who God is and be filled with comfort and hope.
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not better than they . . . And why take thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” ~ Matthew 6:26, 28-30
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He wil make me to walk upon mine high places . . . “ Habakkuk 3:17-19
Copyright Sara J. Bruegel, 2015. Used with permission
