Another Source

In these retirement years it has been a blessing to have been planted in the midst of an uncluttered creation.  There are no buildings to obstruct the view, no plats of asphalt and concrete to hide the ground, and the colors are as pure as God has made them.   But, it has been more than just an experience of admiring and beholding with awe the beauty of God's creation.  Even more it has become a season of listening for the voice of God and knowing His presence in this uncluttered creation which surrounds me.

 

While it may sound strange to some, the Word of God itself reminds us that the creation is an open door to the revealed presence of God.  In Job 12 we find the ancient man speaking to one of those who have come to help, "But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you..."  (vs. 7-8)  Finding this to be true has become an important part of the spiritual journey which is unfolding up the road before me. 

 

There was a time when only the written Word known as Holy Scripture could be counted on to speak for God, but in these days the Creation has become known as still another authentic source of divine revelation.  As heretical as it may sound to some, this old preacher is not the first to come to such a conclusion.  Wiser men and women who lived with a deeper awareness of God than have I walked this ground long before me.  To read about the lessons they learned gives me greater confidence that this new way of listening for the Voice of God is not only authentic, but also so in sync with what the God of the Scripture reveals to us about Himself.