The Power of Plants

I spent approximately 20 hours outside this past weekend.  It was beautiful weather the entire time, with the sun shining and it being between 80 – 90 degrees.  I had the opportunity to speak at a sectional Royal Rangers Pow Wow meeting, with about 130 people there.  Sunday was Searchlight Church’s picnic, which was a blast.

Perhaps the only downside was the thousands of cicadas that were everywhere (if you don’t know, I really dislike insects), but thankfully they are completely harmless and are really slow, so they don’t really surprise you.

The Glory of God Revealed

Anyway, I think there is something special about spending an extended amount of time outside.  Even spending just a few minutes outside can be powerful.  I think that God’s glory is revealed in a special way when we meditate on Him in His creation.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1)

The Pow Wow was in Blairstown, NJ and we were surrounded by breathtaking views.  Lakes, enormous trees, and towering mountains were all around us.  Observing nature in this capacity just gave me a bit of a reality check on how small I am, and how big God is.

Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands

It was also really reassuring.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the worries of life, even to the point where it can literally choke out our love for Christ (Luke 8:4-15, the thorny soil).  Being outside reminded me that all of life’s worries and problems are just so insignificant to Him.

Not only that, but He’s really not surprised by anything going on in the world.  When I think of the future of the American Church, the resistance to Christianity, how Christians are persecuted in the world, etc., it can be a bit discouraging.  But being outside, meditating on God’s glory and greatness, even those “bigger” issues seemed a whole lot smaller.

I’m not saying it’s always easy to deal with life’s problems, but spending time with God in a way that we’re disconnected from our normal routine can give us a unique sense of peace and perspective.  As Mark Batterson writes, “change of place + change of pace = change in perspective.”

Worship in Spirit and in Truth

One of the greatest parts was just worshiping with other believers.  At both the Pow Wow on Saturday and the picnic on Sunday, I had the opportunity to worship God corporately with other Christians.  Hearing people sing, praise God, and seeing them raise their hands was really encouraging.  It makes the command in Scripture to be united in love, spirit, mind and purpose mean more than just “putting up” with each other (Philippians 2:1).

Having that time to disconnect and remembering that we are God’s creation is something that I really think should be a more regular part of our lives.  Witnessing the glory of God and experiencing His peace can really help give us the right perspective on God’s power over circumstances, and His endless love for us.