One of the sweetest things about the approach of autumn is the changing light. Shadows become longer and the light shining on roofs and sidewalks is milder and gentler. You can sometimes see a haze over the fields when you look for hay bales. With the change of light comes the sense that my familiar yard has turned into a new haven that’s both cooler and different from its June to August self. The fledgling birds are on the wing now; they land jostling and pecking next to their parents at the feeders. Stepping outside becomes a pleasure again.

Nature is so renewing that it is also inspiring, as God has intended from the beginning of creation: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech , they use no words, no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 95:1-4)

St. Paul asserted that one of the greatest messages of God in conveying His own character to humans is through His creation itself: For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what is made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:2) Though we all find nature entertaining, Paul points out that it is much more than that, because all of nature is a display in some way, of the character of God Himself. The Psalmist agrees: Where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. (Psalm65:8)

It’s great to enjoy the refreshment and pleasures of nature, but to know that each natural thing also speaks to us of its creator, and that the speaking is one of the reasons for its creation, increases our joy. The joy of experiencing the change of seasons with the anticipation that it carries is not an empty event , but a strong message from our God to rejoice in it as a gift from Him.

People who lived thousands of years ago knew this and wrote about it, but we still sometimes think that we are alone, and that nature holds no message; but Jesus said,

Consider the lilies of the field.

Love in Him,

Prue