It
is at this time of the year that Spring has almost passed
and Summer is just around the corner, that we can really
appreciate nature in all its beauty and splendor. Everything
is lush and green, with bright flowers painting the
countryside we see around us. When you look around on
a hot summer day you can see all the things that God
has created. Everything you see seems "just right",
and God thought this too:
"And God saw every thing that
he had made, and, behold, it was very good..."(Gen1:31)
We tend to be happy when the weather is
good and grumble and complain when the weather is bad.
But if it didn't rain then we would have no water to
drink and none of the farmers' crops would grow. So
in a way it's a good job that it does rain on us - even
if we don't like it! God knows that we need water and
so he makes it rain:
" For as the rain cometh down, and
the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but
watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the
eater." (Isaiah 55:10)
As the years pass we get used to the cycle
of the seasons. We see this mentioned in the Bible too.
We can read of the passing of winter and the months
of year that are predominantly wetter, which give way
to the arrival of spring, when plants begin to bud and
flower once more:
" For, lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear
on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines
with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love,
my fair one, and come away." (Song of Solomon 2
v 11-13)
Yet no matter how much it rains and rains
and rains, the earth never seems to fill up! We know
that this is because of the water cycle. The rain falls
down, and drains off the hills and fields into the rivers,
from here it flows into the sea. Yet all the time the
sun is causing this water to evaporate and reform as
clouds in the sky. These clouds eventually cause rain
to fall and the cycle continues round and round, with
the water always returning to where it started. The
Bible mentions this:
"All the rivers run into
the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from
whence the rivers come, thither they return again."
(Ecclesiastes 1v7)
So just as we are surrounded by nature,
we can see that the Bible also mentions nature quite
a lot. Jesus also used the nature around us to help
comfort us.
"Consider the ravens: for they neither
sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn;
and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better
than the fowls?" (Luke 12:24)
"Consider the lilies how
they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say
unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these. If then God so clothe
the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow
is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe
you, O ye of little faith?" (Luke 12:27 -28)
Jesus here is telling us not to worry
about the many things which we can worry about. He says
that if God looks after birds such as Ravens, then how
much more will he look after us, who are much better
than ravens?
From all this, and from nature around
us, we can see that God is in control of everything
around us. So the next time we are outside, let's try
and really appreciate God's creation - even if it is
raining!