Awe & Joy

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of God’s hands. Psalm 19:1 

I was awestruck when I stepped out onto my patio and captured this glorious scene in the sky! These gilded clouds in the sky took my breath away as I felt the presence of God. There’s nothing like the Arizona September sky to remind us of God’s glory. In ancient times the skies over Israel must have been similar with so many Hebrew scripture references to the awesome skies proclaiming the work of God’s hands.  

Connecting with nature connects us with our creator God and gives us perspective on the happenings here on earth. Part of it is realizing just how small we are in the grand scheme of things as we spin in our own little worlds beneath the massive sky. Gazing at the sunset sky that evening gave me some joy and refreshment and reminded me that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us! It is easy to lose sight of God’s presence in our worries and feel alone. It’s easy to let our worries feel bigger than God, and we can get tunnel vision or feel in the dark when we struggle. But that is the time we need to open our eyes to seek the light and connect with nature. Go for walks, watch a sunrise or sunset, lay beneath the stars on a clear night, keep watching for the rainbows! These are little things that open our perspective wider to bring us outside of ourselves. They bring a new kind of joy from within that comes from awe in the presence of God.  

Martin Luther suggests beginning and ending each day with a prayer of thanksgiving for the day ahead and the day that was spent acknowledging that God was in it all. As the psalmist proclaims,  

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. Psalm 65:8 

Awe & Joy to you, Pastor Andrea