“Look at the sun shining in the window,” my counselor once said as she reminded me to notice the “little” signs of hope that God is still with us. I looked up at the small window up in the corner of the room. Sunlight streamed in, but I hadn’t noticed it.
It appears every day, so what’s so special about it? How does that give us hope? Sometimes our eyes are either so glued to our troubles that we can’t see past them to the miracles of life and God’s provision, or we are so accustomed to seeing a miracle that we become blinded to see what a gracious gift it is.
When we were on vacation, we took a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River. My husband and I got excited every time we saw a bald eagle. A young man in front of us asked, “Don’t you see them where you live?”
“No… More hawks than eagles…”
“We see them all the time in Osh Kosh, so I guess I don’t pay attention to them much anymore.”
Little does he know that God sent me a lesson in those words. Blessings surround me, and yet I don’t pay attention to them anymore. I expect they will always be there, and I don’t see the miracle in them being there at all. Our loved ones, our homes, food enough, our freedoms in this country, our senses, and so many other gifts enfold us. And what a wonder that God speaks daily to us in the miracle with which nature runs its course – the sun by day, the moon by night, all creation speaking faithfully to us.
God never fails to keep nature running like clockwork. The sun lightens our world day after day, even through the clouds. Imagine how cold it would be without its rays of warmth. The moon and stars shine in the darkness of the night. The laws of all creation continue day and night. We can always count on the changing of seasons guided by the never-failing love of God. Nature flows faithfully in all its beauty, each and every creature and created thing a nonstop sign that God watches over every little detail and is with us 24-7.
Just as God doesn’t abandon His creation, He never leaves us or pushes us aside. He is as likely to reject us as He is to abolish the laws of nature.
“I am as likely to reject my people Israel
as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”
This is what the Lord says:
“Just as the heavens cannot be measured
and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored,
so I will not consider casting them away
for the evil they have done.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
~ Jeremiah 31:36-37
We can find hope in the harmony of nature. God doesn’t abandon or reject it, but He delights in it and nurtures it. He has promised the same for us, but we need to stop our busy lives and look for it, feast our eyes upon it, and let its hope penetrate our hearts.
More Soul Rest Nature Photos from our Vacation
Freed to Fly 
Sometimes all it takes is looking more closely to see the blessings – and they truly are all around us, if we pay attention. Beautiful message today!
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Thank you, Kathryn. Yes, blessings surely do surround us if we pay attention. It’s a blessing to have you stop in today! 💗
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Beautiful pictures, Trudy! I can never understand how people can look at the beauty of nature surrounding us and doubt God’s existence. It is filled with His love! Your vacation looks like it was covered in nature. That is my kind of vacation. I too often forget to notice it in my everyday life. I love your counselor’s advice “to notice the “little” signs of hope that God is still with us.” I need to remember that. Thanks for sharing it!
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Thank you, Candace. Yes, I believe nature shouts and sings of God’s existence and His faithfulness. Nature outings always center me as to Who is in control. Blessings to you! ❤️
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Trudy,
What truly beautiful photos and truth about God’s faithful care of us….and for us to have the eyes to see so we can be grateful 🙂 So glad you & your hubby got to enjoy God’s creation 🙂
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Thank you, Dolly. We had some beautiful times of reflection and soul rest in God’s creation. 🙂 Blessings to you! 💗
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“Nature flows faithfully in all its beauty, each and every creature and created thing a nonstop sign that God watches over every little detail and is with us 24-7.”
Amen! I popped over from the faith barista’s link up… Sweetly encouraged by your post!
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I’m so grateful you are encouraged, Kelly. Your post encouraged me, too. May we both keep leaning into Jesus, no matter how dark it gets! ❤️
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A bald eagle would blow me away! And I know if I lived at the beach, I would totally appreciate it 😉
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Yes, they did blow us away. 🙂 And living at a beach is a dream of mine. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Sarah, and God bless you! 💗
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HI Trudy! How cool to see so many eagles! And those turtles are so cute too 🙂
Nature never fails to calm me down and relax my shoulders. So much beauty, it makes me tear up sometimes too.
I had a similar experience over ‘rare’ wildlife. We were just on vacation, and saw animals we would never see strolling down our suburban streets, that’s for sure. But it’s commonplace where we went. It really is a great lesson in being grateful and aware of what we are graced to see. Just like the sunlight coming in the window like you described. Beauty is all around.
Blessings!
Ceil
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Thank you, Ceil. Nature calms me, too. 🙂 Speaks to my heart that God is still with me. I’m so glad you got to see some rare wildlife. That must have been so enjoyable and encouraging. May God’s beauty in nature continue to surprise us and make us grateful for His blessings! ❤️
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