I don’t know about you guys, but I have had to struggle through a very anemic view of God. Seeing Jesus constantly depicted in stained glass windows and cheesy looking pictures can have some negative effects. One thing that has helped me over the years is learning about God through his creation. Now, his creation is not him in the same way that a painting is not the artist. That being said, you can learn something about the artist through his painting.

Psalm 19:1-2 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” This psalmist is saying the same thing here. God’s creation is constantly proclaiming messages to us regarding the different attributes of God.

For example, you can learn a lot about God through the ocean. The ocean is vast and powerful. It can be enjoyed by a child playing at the beach, but it can drown the bravest of sailors in it’s unfathomable depths. The wind is another great teacher if we allow it to be. It can be enjoyed as a gentle breeze, but it can also be a hurricane or a tornado that brings about unthinkable destruction.

The moon has some things to teach us as well. By itself, it may not seem like that much to look at. It has all kinds of craters and may not be considered that lovely in form or feature. But when you add the sun’s light to it, it becomes a beautiful orb that adorns the night sky. Isn’t this a perfect picture of what it means to be a Christian? In our own lives we have cracks and craters because of the wrongs that we have done and those that have been done to us. We may not be much to look at in and of ourselves, but when God’s light shines on us, we suddenly become beacons of light that can lead many back to Him.

Animals have a lot to say as well regarding their Creator and our journey as Christians. A rhino can run 30 mph, but can only see 30 feet in front of itself. In the same way,  we may only be able to see a little bit into the future, but when we follow God we can charge forward in boldness and victory. There are animals as gentle as a household cat and as fierce as a bear robbed of it’s cubs. Trees have a ton of things they can teach us as well. In our culture we love the idea of instant growth, but check out Psalm 1 when you get a chance. The author uses a tree to give us a metaphor for spiritual growth. Trees don’t grow overnight. They grow as a myriad of factors combine in just the right way. They grow through seasons and elements and different natural processes. This teaching flies in the face of all the 3 step self-help books that fill the shelves of countless bookstores. It takes time to grow and different seasons. It takes different elements and lots of patience. You should not expect overnight success. What a great lesson for our fast-paced and consumer-driven culture?!

The list could go on and on, but I’m sure you get the point. The painting can tell us a lot about the artist. The artist is not the painting and the painting is not the artist, but the painting is a great teacher in the hands of a careful interpreter. What lessons have you learned about God through his creation? I would love to hear your thoughts.