He Speaks to Me Everywhere (4)

And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. Ecclesiastes 1.13

Here’s a wonder
Folks who live along the Appalachians are familiar with common wood sorrel. It is often mistaken for clover, but it’s not. This little plant shows up everywhere in our yard. It’s quite lovely, with those green, three-lobed leaves, and that little yellow flower, standing out like a banner. I’ll let several patches of it grow in our gardens, but much of my weeding goes to keeping the little beauty in check.

God is revealing Himself in this little wild flower. Its tenacity reminds me of the faithfulness of God. The vivid green color speaks of life. The three, heart-shaped leaves, clustered together look like a little love-letter from the triune God. And that single flower, rising above the leaves, seems to say, “Hey you, look here, observe, and wonder!”

Weeding common sorrel is an exercise in thanksgiving, for while the grass of the field may bloom for a moment, only to be uprooted and cast aside, still, in its rustling loveliness, I hear Him pass Who gives to all His creatures life and glory.

Creational theology helps us to see the world as created, endowed, and sustained by God, so that even the humblest creature can afford an opportunity for wonder, worship, and witness.

Made to see His glory
Solomon was wise because he understood that everything on earth has its proper place in the divine scheme of things – “under the heavens,” as he put it. Everything we see or hear, every experience and fact of creation, all have their place in the divine economy (Eccl. 3.1-8), from the rarest and most extravagant orchid to the common wood sorrel.

God has put eternity in our hearts, so that we can peer through temporal reality into the eternal presence of God, to know Him and His world, if only imperfectly, using the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2.16; Eccl. 3.11). By observing the world carefully, and looking for associations in Scripture for what we’ve observed, we’re tuning our hearts to see the glory and sing the praise of God more consistently.

As we press ahead in our work of creational theology, we will want to integrate our observations with the Scriptural associations to which they relate. In this step, we will offer a concise statement concerning the glory of God which we have discerned, revealed in the things He has made.

Find the words
The activity of integration involves putting into words what we have observed in creation, and how the associations we’ve made from the Scriptures relate to those observations. Write down in your journal what you have discerned of the glory of God in your observations. By doing so, we make a statement concerning our encounter with the Lord and His glory, and what He has spoken to us from the things we have seen.

Such conclusions are tentative and personal. You may not see common wood sorrel as a love letter from the Trinity, but I do, every time. Our integrative statements are not to be considered normative revelation, that is, on the same level of Scripture. Rather, they provide a means for heightening our wonder at God, enhancing our understanding of Him, deepening our worship of Him, and giving us a means to bear witness to His presence with us.

Our world is, in many ways, out of sorts and wrong – not what God intends it to be. But we may reflect from such observations that “This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done…” God is still bringing His redemptive work to the creation as we, His people, take up the good works for which He has redeemed us in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8.19-21; Eph. 2.10), and declare His glory as we encounter it in even the humblest of His creatures (Hab. 2.14).

By integrating your observations with Scriptural associations, you train yourself to respond to the “voice” of God as He speaks to you everywhere. A passing thunderstorm over sun-burnt grass says, “I will never fail you nor forsake you; wait on Me, and do not despair.” The reliability of your office computer, and the fruitful work it allows you to produce, speak of the steadfast love and faithfulness of God, Who never sleeps, and Who uses our work to glorify His Name (Ps. 90.16, 17; 1 Cor. 10.31).

Once you have matched your observations with relevant Scripture, integrate them into a statement, prayerfully considered, carefully crafted, and boldly set forth, that will be a record of how you have encountered the glory of God in your daily journey with the Lord, as He speaks to you everywhere.

For reflection
1.  Let’s have a go at a simple statement: What do you see of the glory of God in a beautiful sunset?

2.  I find that writing things down tends to impress them more solidly on my soul. Do you think that writing some statement about your observations, recording your experience of the glory of God, could enhance your observational skills? Explain.

3.  How can writing out these integrative statements help you to be ready to share a word of witness?

Next steps – Conversation: Share your answer to question 1 with some Christian friends. Ask them to reply to the question. Talk about the glory of God and why you experience it this way. Give thanks to the Lord together.

For a fuller study of the disciplines of creational theology, order the book, Consider the Lilies: A Plea for Creational Theology, from our online store (click here). The glory of God is always at hand, if we know how to discern, enter, and express it. Our booklet, Christians on the Front Lines of the Culture Wars, can help you learn to recognize the glory of God, and to glorify Him in even the most everyday details of your life. Order your copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.