The Closet Professor

“For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

—Isaiah 55:12

hat a wonderful image, especially as I sit here in the midst of the Green Mountains! I can almost hear the mountains singing to me. As it continues to warm up, I hope to do some hiking in those hills and let the beauty of nature sing to me. Maybe it’s just me, but I am reminded of  Julie Andrew’s voice when I read Isaiah 55:12. We probably all know the opening song to The Sound of Music:

The hills are alive
With the sound of music
With songs they have sung
For a thousand years
The hills fill my heart
With the sound of music

Spring is here, and the grass is turning green again. There is a renewal in the air. Whether it is the soft white stillness of newly fallen snow, the colors of the autumn leaves, or the bright sunshine of summer, each season has its beauty. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:28-29 to “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” 

Psalm 8:3-4 reminds us about God’s creation of this beautiful universe, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” The Bible says that natural beauty is a gift from God. He created everything in the universe, and His handiwork is perfect. When we look at nature, we can see the remnants of His power and glory. Psalm 19:1 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse of heaven shows His handiwork.” This means that even the stars and planets are declaring how amazing our Creator is! Nature truly is a remarkable thing. In Ecclesiastes 3:11, we are told, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” This suggests that when we see things like sunsets or waterfalls, we are getting a glimpse of something much bigger than ourselves.

There are many ways that Christians can cultivate the worship of God through nature. One way is to spend time outside in nature, soaking in the wonder of creation and letting it fill us with praise for our Creator. Another way is to find ways to connect what we see in nature with our faith journey, using it as a lens through which to see God more clearly. Additionally, we can use nature as a tool for teaching others about who God is and how much He loves us. Ultimately, whenever we interact with nature, we have an opportunity to draw closer to God and worship Him more fully.